Finding the Sun Again
by Useful76
Summary: Two shining souls have had their lights extinguished by their loved ones. Neither one thinks that their former radiant glory can ever be reaquired. Will they be able to find the sun again or will fate mire their hopes in darkness. NaruHanabi Hanabi
1. Prologue

I've updated the prologue and first 4 chapters as of 6/30/13. For those that have followed for years, I appreciate your patience. There are 3 brand new chapters coming. The first new one is chapter 4. Chapter 5 will be posted later on tonight and chapter 6 later on this week. My inspiration comes and goes with this story so don't expect regular updates. Thanks again for all your support. The title of the story comes from Mr. Lee way back in 2007.

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Prologue

The sun soared overhead on a midsummer day in the village of Konoha. A pleasant atmosphere permeated through the various inhabitants from the trees lining the streets to the people strolling about. Peace brought about great happiness for the citizens here and none more than its loudest and most rambunctious blonde ray of sunshine.

Naruto Uzumaki, the Hero of Konoha, the Great Champion of the Fourth War, Future Hokage; all illustrious titles that fit his persona but today he was merely a young man in good spirits. Today of all days he was especially ecstatic because of where he was headed and what he had planned. He was on his way to his girlfriend's house, one Sakura Haruno, to celebrate their one year anniversary of being a couple.

Naruto and Sakura had been friends since they were genin. Sure it was a little tense in the beginning but for the past eight years, they have been by each other's side through thick and thin. When things were at their worst, they stood by each other, fighting side by side against all of their enemies. This friendship gradually grew to be more. It was obvious to everyone except themselves apparently what they were. It wasn't until last year though that they finally realized what they always had and officially started dating.

Since then, the two could be seen just about everywhere together. They were the epitome of a normal, loving couple. They held hands, kissed in public and went on dates. The two were completely comfortable with one another in every aspect. That isn't to say they never had arguments. These are two very headstrong individuals that have worked together since they were twelve. Arguments for a couple are a common thing though. It didn't detract from the happiness they exuded. Naruto especially appeared to be happier than he's ever been.

So for this day, he wanted to make their anniversary very special. He had spent the last few months searching for the perfect gift until he found a beautiful jade necklace at a local jewelry store. This pricey little memento of his affection set him back about a month's worth of his pay. Naruto had taken on as many A and S ranked missions as he could in order to scrounge up enough cash to afford the extravagant item that signified his love for the pink haired med-nin. Tsunade, despite her reluctance to send the Hokage in training on such dangerous missions, knew his heart was in the right place and thus granted him the assignments. She only wanted to have a picture of her apprentice's face when she received it.

Well the waiting was over and Naruto was ready to give this symbol of his love to her. He took a shower, put on some nice clothes and made his way to her house to pick her up for their day together.

He arrived and knocked on her door. After a few moments, the beautiful, pink-haired kunoichi answered.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." Sakura greeted him with a warm smile.

"Hi, Sakura-chan. If you're ready to go there's just one thing I need to do first." Naruto replied in his usual boisterous tone.

"Oh, what's that?" Sakura coyly replied expecting a cheesy response.

"Just have to make a quick call to god to let him know about the angel he's missing." Naruto coolly remarked before breaking out a lop-sided grin.

She giggled at his corny compliment.

"Naruto you cheeseball! You know those lame lines only work on billboard brow." Ino yelled from behind Sakura in the doorway with a mocking grin.

Naruto glanced behind his girlfriend and threw a smile at the buxom blonde. "It's all in the delivery my dear Ino-chan. I can try them on you some time if you'd like." He ended with a wink.

All three friends broke out in a laugh. "Alright you two. Break it up before I have to kick both your asses." Sakura casually stated with a smile for her best friend and her boyfriend. Naruto and Ino both gave a mock salute and a nod of encouragement to the other having done a similar exchange many times before much to the delight and dismay of the pinkette.

Ino waved them off with a genuine smile for two of her best friends and told them to have a good time. The couple walked hand in hand on their way to a restaurant they frequented for a romantic lunch to kick off the afternoon. They were both too content in sharing each other's presence to care about anything else at the moment. There wasn't anything that could distract them from their perfect day together. Well, almost anything.

The couple was just about to enter the restaurant right by the Hokage tower when they noticed some commotion not too far away. Their ninja reflexes kicked in and they both head over to the source of the commotion. Making their way through the crowd of onlookers, they finally found out what the big deal was. It was a sight that neither of them expected to see.

There stood guarded by four ANBU black ops was a certain raven haired Uchiha that they had vowed to rescue for the past eight years. It was like the world had gone into a time warp. Everything was in slow motion. Naruto couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sasuke Uchiha, strolling down the street with that neutral expression. He looked so calm and smug. It was like he had never left.

Naruto and Sakura had all but given up their quest for his return after their last encounter nearly three years earlier.

Flashback

_Naruto led a team of himself, Sakura and several other Konoha ninja to confront Sasuke for the final time and deliver an ultimatum; Return or die. But fate it seemed had other ideas. Their battle was interrupted by Tobi, presumed to be Uchiha Madara but later revealed as Obito Uchiha. He was once the presumed dead teammate of Kakashi but it was revealed that he an evil mastermind looking for world domination. He apparently leaked the information to Konoha and used Sasuke as bait to lore the nine-tailed container out for capture thus bringing the final step of his plan closer to fruition. _

_Both Naruto and Sasuke decided that their feud could be set aside one more time. They needed to team up on the bigger threat. Sasuke had a score to settle with Tobi for destroying his clan, manipulating his brother and basically ruining his life. He was the driving force for why Sasuke walked the lonely path of an avenger. Naruto, having the fate of the world thrust on his shoulders since birth being the nine tails jinchuriki, also had Tobi to blame for the death of his family and general disarray his early life took on. Both former members of team 7 knew the stakes were high and were prepared to end this threat to all of civilization or die trying._

_The battle was long and arduous. Just when it seemed like one side had the upper hand, their opponents would take it to another level. After hours upon hours of fighting, Sasuke managed to slow Tobi down with a shot to the chest from Kirin. This allowed Naruto to capitalize on Tobi's momentary weakness and hit him full on with his ultimate Rasenshuriken. Nothing remained of the Uchiha patriarch. The Fourth Great War was over. _

_While Tobi was presumably disintegrated and victory attained, Naruto was left sapped of all his strength and Sakura was on her last legs due to healing not just him but the rest of the team. Once the battle had cleared, Naruto and Sakura pleaded with Sasuke one last time to return. With tears streaming down her eyes, Sakura all but begged him to come back to make things the way they were again. They would forgive him for all the attempts on their lives. Sasuke refused their request but did make it clear that he no longer held any hatred for them. His path of vengeance has forced him to continue finding his true purpose. Naruto was in no condition to keep Sasuke from escaping and Sakura didn't have the heart or the energy to stop him either. He continued down his path of self destruction leaving his only friends and family in the distance. _

Three long years after that bitter sweet day, Naruto and Sakura stood dumbfounded in front of the Hokage tower. They stared at the one who left them so long ago without being able to formulate any words. Suddenly, Sasuke noticed the two of them and stopped. He looked at both of his long forgotten teammates and smiled. A genuine smile from the brooder was rare, but it seemed like he was actually happy to see his one-time colleagues. Both of them though were still too awestruck to make any moves. Seeing this, the Uchiha made his way over to them while still being guarded by the ANBU.

"Long time no see, eh?" Sasuke said as he attempted to joke at his former teammates.

Finally, Naruto was able to awaken from his shocked state. "W-what…H-how…W-why...?" Naruto was trying to formulate a sentence, but all that came out was stuttering incoherence.

Sakura suddenly reached out, wrapped her arms around Sasuke's neck and began to cry. "Sasuke-kun, it's really you!" She proclaimed to the raven-haired boy as if she returned to her twelve year old self.

Despite Naruto's comfort and report with Sakura, he couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as he watched his long time nemesis return the hug by wrapping his arms around the slender waist of the woman he loved. As quickly as it came though, he squashed it down to greet his old friend.

"It's good to see you, teme. If you're able to, we should get together later so you can tell us where the hell you've been and what you've been up to." Naruto said cordially as he was finally able to generate a coherent response.

Sasuke slowly broke his embrace from Sakura, much to Naruto's subconscious insecurity's relief. "I'll see what happens, dobe. I'm not sure what my situation will be till after I meet the Hokage." He replied with a nod.

With that said, he was off to the tower to face whatever fate Tsunade had in store for him.

"Well, that was definitely a mood killer." Naruto said with a heavy sigh as he turned towards Sakura who was still in complete shock at what just happened.

"If you'd like Sakura-chan, we can skip lunch and just relax back at my place… you know… if you want to talk about this." Naruto offered selflessly.

Sakura didn't hear him at first. She was still lost in what she just saw. Glancing up at him she finally comprehended what he asked her. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I just… I don't know. I think I should go home now. I'm just really out of it all of a sudden." Sakura responded quietly.

Naruto felt a little down by her reply, but he understood how she felt. He too, needed some time to think about what just happened. It's not every day that your former teammate, who's tried to kill you several times, suddenly drops in out of thin air after he walked away from you all those years ago.

"It's cool, Sakura-chan. We can do it tomorrow or another time… you know whenever you're feeling better. Let me walk you home." He told his girlfriend as they started to walk back to her place.

They reached her doorstep again, despite having only arrived there to pick her up 30 minutes earlier. A whirlwind of emotion trampled on what was supposed to be one of the best days in Naruto's life. When Sakura reached the door, she was about to rush in but Naruto gently grabbed her shoulder.

"Sakura-chan?" He started.

"Yes, Naruto?" She replied softly glancing back at him.

"Well, I know our anniversary was cut short but maybe if you're feeling better later we can go out?" The spiky blond said carefully.

Sakura again seemed in a daze and barely registered what he had said. "Hmm, oh maybe tomorrow, Naruto. I just need to get my mind off of things right now. Sorry." With that she abruptly began to run in the house.

"Sakura there's just one thing I wanted to…"

And the door slammed shut.

"…show you." Naruto replied to the closed door. His right hand fumbled with the small case in his pocket containing the symbol of his love for her.

Dejected and momentarily defeated, Naruto started the slow trek back to his apartment. He arrived about a half hour later, opened the door and then collapsed on his couch in a confused heap. He had a lot to digest.

Sasuke's return brought about numerous emotions. Some of which he expected. Other's he thought he'd outgrown. The tortuous seed of jealousy began to sink its roots into Naruto's mind the same as when he was younger. Where one moment he was completely secure in his feelings for Sakura and hers for him, a nagging doubt began to grow.

'_Why am I worrying so much? Sakura-chan's just emotional at seeing the teme back. She'll be better tomorrow. I'll talk to her about Sasuke and give my gift to her when she's over the shock.'_ He contemplated. After hours of thinking about it, Naruto decided on the plan he first thought of and fell fast asleep on his couch.

Months had passed since that day. Naruto had seen Sakura that next day and many others after but she still seemed frazzled by Sasuke's return. He had still never got the chance to give her the necklace. He noticed a crack in their once solid foundation of trust and love began to form. Sakura spent more and more time at work and grew distant from him. Before she was happy and content, but now she seemed scared and confused. Their once joyous encounters, filled with laughter were now dull and quiet. The intimate times they shared with one another, each being one another's first, now seemed a forgotten memory. Naruto felt as if Sakura had something on her mind and it was causing a rift between them.

In those months, it was learned that Sasuke had surrendered to Konoha and was willing to accept any punishment bestowed upon him. It turns out that his path of vengeance was finally at its end with Tobi but Sasuke had needed time to accept it. Those many years after he walked away were spent searching for a purpose in life. He realized that with no one left to hate, he could finally heal. Thus he made up his mind to return to his friends, his only family in the hopes that he may possibly be forgiven by the village he betrayed. He had expected to be executed but in this time of peace and prosperity, Tsunade had decided to be lenient. A good word from Sakura and Naruto may have swayed her opinion as well. He was sentenced to house arrest for two years and would be guarded by a full team of ANBU around the clock.

Naruto and Sakura visited Sasuke regularly. Sometimes they went together but for the most part it was when they had the time, which was usually alone. Naruto even managed to repair his relationship with his surrogate brother and regained a little of the old insult laden camaraderie that only two male friends could have.

Almost exactly five months after Naruto and Sakura's one year mark, Naruto decided to go all out and shake Sakura from her funk. He had a day planned full of fun and mischief to hopefully be capped off with him successfully wrapping her sparkling jade necklace around her beautifully sculpted neck line. Which would hopefully lead to her graciously rewarding him with a memorable night to follow.

Naruto spent the better part of the day searching for his bubblegum beauty but come up empty at every turn. She wasn't at her and Ino's apartment. Ino was concerned for her fellow blonde and wished him luck in his search. She wasn't at the hospital. They had apologized for her absence but couldn't offer an answer for him. He even asked Tsunade and Shizune but they hadn't seen her in several months let alone that day. It was like she had up and vanished despite him seeing her the day before.

Naruto decided to ask Sasuke if he had seen her since he knew she visited about as often as himself, if not more so.

Naruto arrived at the front door of the Uchiha estate and knocked. No one responded after a few minutes. He knocked again, and there was no sound, but the door was unlocked. Figuring that Sasuke wouldn't mind him coming in uninvited, Naruto opened the door and strolled through the main hall.

"Sasuke? Hey! You here, bastard?" Naruto yelled good-naturedly as he walked into the house and closed the door.

He didn't get any response, so he walked around a bit more and figured that he was outside or something. He walked out back towards the big lake in the backyard of the Uchiha household. The sight before him he could not prepare for. Only in his most delusional, jealousy induced visions had he foreseen this. Unfortunately, he could not unsee it for he would if he could to save him from the mental wound that will scar him for the remainder of his life.

There on the grass was his raven-haired former best friend rolling around with his, as of that moment, very EX-girlfriend. Sasuke lay on top of Sakura thrusting hungrily into her for all his worth. The blissful look on the kunoichi's face as she moaned in pure ecstasy was one Naruto had never seen during their similar sexual encounters, he painfully noted.

The pain Naruto was experiencing was nothing he had ever felt before. He had been neglected. He had been beaten. He had been betrayed by his best friend. He had been nearly killed too many times to count but despite all of that, he endured but not without a price. Naruto's heart was fragile. His emotional state could see-saw from highest highs to lowest lows in a matter of seconds if the right catalyst caused it. Sakura was his ultimate catalyst. His one true love, or so he had believed Sakura to be, had the ability to fulfill all his greatest dreams or drive the stake through his heart.

At that point, the mask he always wore was beginning to crack, so to speak. Naruto was about to break down and let the sadness seep through, but something stopped him. Anger. Pure, righteous, unadulterated anger! Anger at being tossed aside so easily by the one he loved since they were young. Anger at, once again, being betrayed by his 'best friend.' Anger at being so alone in the world that the most precious people to him, the ones that he once called friends, the ones he called family, would betray him so completely.

His eyes began to turn a deep crimson and formed black slits where pupils should be. He hadn't used the Kyuubi since that fateful day against Tobi. He almost allowed it to take control and do something he would regret, despite the fact that he felt that they deserved to be punished. He held fast though. Years of mental preparation would not be undone just yet. But how long could he keep his mind together? Rather than explode and kill them both though, he made his presence known in a surprisingly peaceful manner.

"Ahem." Naruto calmly cleared his throat loudly enough to let them know he was there. If they didn't hear him, they'd have to be almost chakra incapable to not notice to ridiculous KI he was putting off.

Both of them were startled and looked over at the source of the disturbance. To their dismay, it was a rather pissed off looking blonde haired demon container whose eyes reflected a cold hard, piercing gaze at them. Sakura went wide-eyed with shock and fear. She scrambled to put her clothes back on as she began to try and talk her way out of this sticky situation.

"Naruto, I…" Sakura began to say.

"DON'T YOU DARE, SAKURA!" Naruto shouted as he swiftly raised a hand to shut her up. He composed himself. His next words chilled the air as he spoke them. "Any excuses you have, I don't want to hear them. Just understand that after today, I don't consider you a lover or a friend. I will only interact with you when I need to for the sake of this village. Outside of that, you don't exist to me. You have hurt me for the very last time!" Naruto growled as the words escaped his mouth like venom.

"Naruto, wait…!" The med-nin cried as she tried to get close to him while tears began to flow from her eyes. But she was again cut off, this time by a violent storm of red chakra.

Sakura's quick approach caused an intense burst of Kyuubi's chakra to funnel all around Naruto. The powerful waves lashed out in every direction searing the earth and air around him. One strand caught Sakura on her left cheek leaving a gash that had already cauterized due to the intense heat. She screamed out in pain as a result of it.

Naruto momentarily cringed with guilt at the sight of Sakura being wounded, but his anger immediately suppressed that knee jerk reaction in order to keep his righteous fury. He then turned his back to the both of them and began speaking with his head lowered.

"I loved you, Sakura. I loved you ever since we were genin. I cherished you more than anyone else, and gave every fiber of my being to you. I would have done anything for you Sakura, ANYTHING! All so that you could be happy. I would live for you, and you know better than anyone that I would die for you. In the last year that we were together, I thought that you had grown to love me the same way. But once again, I see that I was wrong. If I mean so little to you that just having your precious Uchiha back after what he did to us for seven damn years, was enough for you to betray me and crush my heart, then I don't want to be around you anymore." Naruto spat out bitterly.

Sakura brought her hand up to the scar that was throbbing intensely on her cheek as a river of tears started to flow from her eyes. The pain she was feeling was only surpassed by the guilt she felt as she stared at Naruto's back.

"I'm sorry Naruto! Please don't go! I don't want to lose you as a friend!" Sakura sobbed.

At that point, he wanted to slap the taste out of her mouth for such a stupid comment after what she just did. But he closed his eyes shut and restrained himself for fear that he would do more than just slap her.

"It's too late for that, Sakura. The moment you thought so little of my trust and my love that you went ahead and decided to fuck that bastard, without giving a damn how I'd feel, you lost the privilege of calling me friend. I never thought that I would say this to the people I loved and protected with my life since I became a ninja, but I'll say it now. Sakura, Sasuke, I…hate…you…both! As far as I'm concerned, you can both go to hell!" Naruto bellowed with pure rage.

Naruto began to slowly walk back to the entrance of the house, ignoring the continuing pleas for him to stay and talk from the pink haired kunoichi. He did stop for a moment though and turned to face her. Reaching into his pocket, he felt the smooth cloth of the purse that contained her necklace. With a bitter, hollow chuckle, Naruto took it out and tossed it to her.

"Happy Anniversary, Sakura."

He didn't wait to see her open it. He turned back to his slow march away from their lives. He needed to get away but he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of making him run. He reached the door and let his emotions flow. Once out of their sight, he ran. He didn't know where he was going but he ran as hard as he could; away from the pain, away from the torment. With the state of his mind he was afraid that he would either kill them or worse, forgive them, like he always did. He didn't want to do either. He went to the only place he could think to go where no one would look for him, the forest of death. He had never let anyone know that he went there for solace, not even Sakura. So it was his only sanctuary from the madness that this world has heaped upon him since he drew breath.

Once he arrived, he couldn't help but let it all go. He screamed to the heavens until his throat was hoarse. He unleashed all his pain and fury into that yell which thankfully dissipated his radiating chakra before he caused something truly terrible to happen.

After letting it all out, he promptly passed in the middle of a rare clearing within the dangerous woods and fell into a dreamless sleep, tears falling out of his eyes like a faucet he had no control over. From that point on, his life was never the same, and it never could go back to the way it was.

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Three years have passed since that incident and Konoha has remained relatively the same on the surface. However, to those that knew it well, they could tell that the soul of the town is now missing. There is a noticeable difference in the ninja community. The Will of Fire that the Sandaime once preached so adamantly about had dwindled to a flicker. Business went about as usual of course but the good natured hero of the town turned into a stone cold killer with an attitude as abrasive as a rusty kunai. Everyone wondered what happened to change their hero but sometimes it's best if certain things remained unspoken.

About a week after that horrible day, Naruto decided his grieving was over and it was time to become more serious about his profession. He informed Tsunade that he could no longer pursue the Hokage title since he felt he wasn't mentally prepared enough to accept the full responsibility that it entailed. He explained that if something as trivial as a failed romance could turn him into time bomb then he needed to train harder than ever. Tsunade threw a very heated argument at him but he never flinched and he never wavered. She reluctantly allowed him to put his apprenticeship on hold indefinitely. He gave a curt nod and swiftly exited without a single word more. Tsunade could not help but cry for her surrogate son's fate. What would he become if he turned away from his life-long dream?


	2. Chapter 1

Updated 6/30/13. New content so please read again if you haven't read in a long time.

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Chapter 1

The sun crept over the horizon and covered the village of Konoha once again in its warmth as another day began in the sleepy town. In one secluded estate, however, the telltale sounds of sparring could be heard long before the golden orb's morning ritual had begun.

In this clan house of the most powerful and influential family in the village, was a middle-aged man in long robes that signified his status as the head of their family. He was poised in a fighting stance across from his opponent. His white, pupil-less eyes stared down in annoyance at the aforementioned adversary, apparently disgusted with the results he was seeing.

Across from the annoyed man, lies his foe. She was a stunningly beautiful young woman of 18 years. Her jet black hair, despite its current ruffled state, was shiny and smooth draping down to the middle of her back. Her perfect body was the result of many years of similar early morning training sessions. Her sculpted figure featured long, well-toned legs accenting a slender midsection. Despite the current nicks and bruises she was displaying, her skin was pristine, emitting a gentle glow when light graced its surface. The soft, gentle curves of her exterior camouflaged the hard body beneath. All and all, she was one of the most beautiful women in the village.

"This is pitiful, Hanabi. I haven't trained you all these years just for you to disrespect me with your weakness." Hiashi scolded the younger girl coldly.

Beauty though, is not what the Hyuga clan respects. The Hyuga's respect strength and power. To this proud family of taijutsu users, weakness is failure, and failure is unacceptable. This has been beaten into the young woman's head since she was old enough to walk. She accepted it all as gospel, since she really had no basis for comparison. What she knew of her life was what her clan told her to do.

Since she was five years old, Hanabi was told that she would be the heiress to the clan's head position, a title that once belonged to her sister. She has been trained every day since then for this event. She was taught the Hyuga's superiority above all other clans. She was taught to obey her elders above all else. She never questioned the practices of her clan when it came to the caged bird seal, nor when her father would unmercifully 'train' her till she could barely move. She never questioned when her loving sister, Hinata, was cast aside as a failure for many years due to her kind and gentle nature. She just accepted all these occurrences as facts of life and moved on.

"I see now that the decision to reinstate Hinata as the clan heiress was a wise one. Her improvement is still pathetic, but your current skills are far inferior." The elder man again berated the girl before him.

Yes, Hanabi Hyuga was no longer the rightful heiress to the clan. Once it was shown that Hinata had indeed surpassed her younger sister's skill level, the elders became split on the decision. So much time had been invested into Hanabi, and yet Hinata was still apparently better. This revelation coupled with Hinata's marriage to the Inuzuka heir, Kiba, made it clear to the Hyuga council what had to be done. The decision came to pass when Hanabi was 16. Since then, she has been dreading the day that the passing of the clan head to her older sister would come. Once that day arrived, she would be branded with the caged bird seal that she used to care nothing about, and be demoted to the responsibilities of the branch family. All of a sudden, it became a very important topic to her.

Hanabi and her sister, Hinata, have a very loving relationship, despite their father's best efforts to make them opposed to each other in order to promote rivalry between them. Hinata being kind natured in general, didn't want to see anyone hurt, but there was a motherly quality in her that took over when she realized her sister's life might be in danger from the curse seal. Thus they both began researching just how she could be spared the cruel fate of being a bird trapped inside a prison with no way to break free.

"Now come at me again and don't embarrass the clan further with your lack of skill." Hiashi said as he activated his Byakugan once more. The girl absorbed the continued barrage of insults from the man she loosely called 'Father'.

Hanabi was hot tempered when she was around anyone else. That might be the side effect from not standing up to her father in the slightest, or perhaps her personality bears a resemblance to her name's origin. She bottled up all the rage she experienced in her training sessions, and it was released in outburst of pompous indignation on servants, comrades, and random strangers. This hot-blooded Hyuga was a sight to see when she was like this, as many people simply steered clear of her, for fear of being caught in her cyclone of fury. This fury became all the more intense and irrational when she learned of her new fate. For so long she just went with the program. She trusted what the council and her father had told her to be true. She never thought to question it because that was the way she was raised. Looking back now, she sees what a fool she had been. Now she was scrambling for lost time, trying to find a way to escape her fate and get back at the bastards that used her as a pawn in their political game.

Hanabi broke from her reverie to continue the spar. She reactivated her kekkei genkai, the Byakugan. She came at her father with precision and skill, but was held back by fear. Fear of disappointing her father. Fear of letting down her beloved sister. Fear of failing herself. Thus despite all her skill, which was impressive at her age, she was easily beaten by her father in her moment of hesitation.

"This is pathetic. I believe you are done for today so that we can avoid any further embarrassment. Leave my sight at once." The Hyuga head reprimanded her a final time for the morning.

"Yes, father," came a meek reply.

Wasting no time, the slender girl gathered her things and smoothly made her way back into the house, careful not to let any emotion escape her steely façade, for fear of further reprisal. She arrived at her bedroom and shut the door. She activated her Byakugan once more in order to make sure no one was within earshot of her room. Once she was certain that no one could hear her, she collapsed on the floor of her room, curled up into a ball with her arms wrapped around her knees, and began to sob uncontrollably.

'_Why? Why? Why did it turn out this way?'_ Hanabi thought depressingly to herself through her sobs.

She didn't tend to indulge in her pity-parties as she called them, but sometimes the pain was just too overwhelming to ignore. Her father's hatred, combined with her impending fate, was too much stress to bear. It was times like this she longed for someone to comfort her. To tell her everything was going to be okay.

Sure she had Hinata and her sisterly love, which helped her immensely on many occasions. But Hinata was married now and couldn't always be there for her. She often felt jealous of the attention Hinata gave her husband, Kiba. Hanabi knew it was irrational to blame her sister or brother-in-law for her lack of emotional support but she did it anyway. It's not like the mutt would be some kind of shrink. He'd more than likely try to give her a noogie like when she was younger and call it counseling. She shuddered remembering those embarrassing moments of her youth. Kiba was an idiot. For the life of her, Hanabi could not see what her sister saw but love is blind she guessed. Either way, Hinata's ability to comfort her was cut down considerably due to her hectic life and new family.

Her cousin, Neji, had his own wife and child to worry about. Hanabi would converse with him and Tenten from time to time. She gave her standard feminine squeals over their adorable son, Eiji, when she visited but those encounters were not often. Despite the sympathy he could offer due to his past within the Branch family, Neji just didn't have the time. Between missions, family and the fact that it was Neji we're talking about, he couldn't offer Hanabi the level of comfort she needed to deal with the overwhelming weight fate had handed to her.

Her father was obviously not the answer since he was the cause of most of her problems. He was a cold-hearted bastard who subconsciously (and sometimes openly) blamed Hanabi for his wife's, her mother's fate since she died shortly after her birth. He worked her to the bone for thirteen straight years, stripping her of a chance at a normal childhood. She had friends at the Academy, but they were fleeting acquaintances at best. Her father had pretty much squashed her social life since she was five. It wasn't till she became a genin that she was able to meet other people.

Even with that, she never grew close enough to anyone to have them comfort Hanabi from the pain of her dilemma. Her teammates were annoying in her opinion and not even worth mentioning. Her classmates were too busy worrying about typical teen matters like crushes and hanging out, while she had to focus on leading the clan. Her arrogant façade didn't help gain her many friends either. Looking back now though, she truly wished she could do it all over again. It was only five years ago, and yet it seemed like a lifetime with all that's happened. She just wished she could go back and have a normal childhood like all her colleagues had. She wanted to be able to grow up and play with other children. She wished to be able to laugh at their jokes and cry with their pain. She longed to fall in love, or be loved. The last was still possible, but with her inevitable fate coming soon, she feared that she was just inflicting unnecessary cruelty upon herself to even entertain those fantasies.

The reality was that she would either die from the pain of receiving the curse seal, or she would be placed in an arranged marriage with another member of the main branch. More than likely, it would be one of the council member's sons. As many in the branch family know, this could be considered a fate worse than death.

Hanabi shook her head to avoid dwelling on such depressing possibilities. Slowly, the sobs began to die down, and the pain of the morning was let out, at least until tomorrow. Hanabi then collected herself and went to her bathroom to make herself presentable for the day. She had to report to the Hokage Tower to receive a mission by eight, so she had plenty of time to prepare.

She wished she could just skip the 'family' breakfast with her father, but he would be even more intolerable if she didn't show up, especially when she returned home. So Hanabi put on her emotionless mask and prepared to bear the silent torture he inflicted on her throughout the meal. Sometimes Hinata would show up and make the session bearable. With her there, she felt some relief. It was a kindred spirit feeling since these two sisters have ironically endured the same trials and experiences with their 'father'. She knew that Hinata was more experienced with dealing with the subject of the harsh training and belittlement from their 'father'. Unfortunately, Hinata was on a mission, so there would be no relief to be gained from her company.

Hanabi made her way down to the kitchen where breakfast was prepared. She bowed to her father and took her seat as she has done many times before. The silence was palpable, and instead of relief from not hearing her father's insults, Hanabi felt apprehension. She hated the overbearing presence that exuded from him. She quickly ate her meal and excused herself from the table. Her father barely acknowledged her company and continued eating as if no one was there in the first place.

Relieved to finally be away from her house and all that it represented, Hanabi made her way to the training grounds to begin her ninjutsu workout. Hyuga training was purely taijutsu, so she used her other training time solely on what few ninjutsu she knew and some basic genjutsu in order to stay well rounded. Her genin sensei, Ebisu, was incompetent in most things, but he was good at analyzing a person's weaknesses and stressing fundamentals if nothing else. He recommended the regimen to her a long time ago, but it was only since the clan heir change was made that she had taken his suggestion seriously. She used to think that her noble Hyuga style, Juken, the most powerful taijutsu in the village, rivaled only by the Goken style of Maito Gai and Rock Lee, was all she needed. It had indeed served her well on the weak D and C ranked missions that her genin team had undertaken. It wasn't till she reached chunin that she realized its ineffectiveness in a majority of combat situations. Still, she remained reluctant to accept that her clan was inferior in any way. Of course the life altering decision to remove her from the clan heir because of her supposed weakness was enough to remove those reservations from her mind.

She arrived at the training grounds and began her routine. After a thorough workout in what little ninjutsu and genjutsu she knew, she began to dry herself off with a towel and started to head to the Hokage tower for her mission.

Suddenly, she heard a noise in the woods at a distant training ground. She would have shrugged it off as a typical ninjutsu training session, but the wildlife that was hurriedly scampering away in all directions claimed her curiosity and drew her to the source of the disruption.

Hanabi glanced at her watch and saw that she still had about an hour before she had to report. So she headed off into the woods to see what was causing all the commotion. The sounds grew louder and the animals grew more frantic from the disturbances the closer she got. Finally, she arrived at the training grounds and looked on in awe at the sight.

There were thousands of kage bushins performing various tasks in what appeared to be a brutal training regimen. Some were practicing water walking while balancing a kunai with the point down on their fingers. Most were performing various high level ninjutsu of different elemental backgrounds. Still others were practicing a range of different kenjutsu katas in an elegant dance with a simple katana blade.

There in the middle, was the original doing ordinary pushups, sit-ups, squats and other physical exercises. His golden blonde hair flew wildly with every upward motion he made. His sun kissed body glistened in the morning light from the sheer volume of sweat he was exuding. A black tank top lay off to the side revealing to his beautiful eavesdropper the perfectly sculpted physique he possessed. Every muscle was defined. The taught skin stretched impossibly creating defined crevices upon the surface of his masculine frame.

His facial features never changed. It was a mask of dead seriousness set upon his tanned facade. It was as if every movement he made was intended to be his last. He was deliberate and precise.

Hanabi couldn't help but admire the scene before her. She had heard of Naruto Uzumaki around the village and from her sister, but she had never witnessed his awesome power firsthand. This incredible male specimen was certainly a far cry from the knucklehead who happened to beat her cousin all those years ago. It was humbling and terrifying at the same time. How could someone possess this much willpower?

Hanabi obviously knew of the Kyuubi ever since it became public knowledge. She also remembered her sister making passing mentions of him when they were younger, but she didn't recall any specifics. She only knew of her sister's crush on him. She couldn't imagine that the boy her sister would speak of would be this godlike machine standing before her. Of course she never knew what Naruto was like before or even when he was a kid, aside from his one match at the chunin exams almost a decade ago. Therefore, there was no basis of comparison for her to go on. She simply took her sister's word for it.

During this mental examination of the blonde ninja's past, the young Hyuga woman's hormones betrayed her loneliness. She was ogling the rippling muscles on his body and forming fantasies of running her fingers and lips all over every single one of them. She wanted to personally inspect every inch of that hard body. She imagined offering to bathe him after such a strenuous workout. She unconsciously licked her lips and bit down on them to stifle the urges she felt. Having rarely had these kinds of thoughts before though, Hanabi suddenly lost focus and made her presence known by gracefully face-planting onto the ground.

Naruto was immediately on alert. With very little movement, he disappeared from sight and reappeared behind a startled Hanabi with a kunai to her throat. "State your business, Hyuga-san" Naruto ordered in a hard voice.

Hanabi was frightened beyond belief, but she managed to reign in her fear with a slight bit of anger at being so easily distracted.

"I was merely checking a loud explosion in the forest when I came upon your training grounds, Uzumaki-san. I'm sorry to have disturbed you. I will take my leave now." Hanabi managed to get out without sounding terrified.

Naruto was satisfied with the answer and placed his kunai in his pouch.

"For future reference, my private training sessions are meant to be private, Hyuga-san" Naruto reprimanded her.

Hanabi raised her eyebrow in an annoyed manner. "My name is Hanabi, not Hyuga-san, Uzumaki-san." Hanabi fired back without thinking. In recent years, she hated being referred to by her clan name because of what she felt as a betrayal they had done to her.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. Hyuga? Hanabi? Firecracker-chan? Just don't bug me while I'm training, got it?"

Hanabi frowned at his demeanor. She didn't know much about Naruto, but she did remember her sister saying he was a kind boy who would always make people laugh. And she couldn't forget how he ran around the coliseum that day, blowing kisses and giving the sign of victory to the crowd after such an exhausting battle with her cousin. This man didn't bear any resemblance to her sister's whimsical description of a lovable baka.

"And here I thought my family was the ones that needed to lighten up." Hanabi absent-mindedly mumbled out loud.

"What was that, chunin? Are you trying to piss me off because you're going the right way to get there" Naruto growled at her as he narrowed his eyes, starting to lose what little patience he had remaining.

Hanabi was taken aback by him pulling rank. It was becoming clear that despite the eye candy, Naruto's personality left something to be desired. _'This guy's an asshole to nth degree. I hope I never have to see this jerk again, let alone the unbearable thought of someday being under him on a mission. Serving! Serving under him! Ugh that doesn't sound much better. Traitor mind.'_

"I was merely commenting that maybe you should learn to lighten up a bit. After all, we are comrades at a training ground in our village. I'm a fellow ninja of the leaf; I'm not the enemy, Uzumaki-san." Hanabi said defiantly while trying not to make him any madder.

Naruto didn't like her tone though, "I don't want anyone getting my secrets especially some stuck up rich girl for a family of assholes, Hinata and Neji excluded. Nah never mind, Neji included."

'_Fucking bastard, who the hell does he think he is? '_ Hanabi fumed though she did smile a bit inwardly for the joke at her cousin's expense. She wanted to explode on him right there but she reigned herself in. She bit back in a more mocking tone. "And why does my sister escape your wrath, Oh mighty jounin-san?"

Naruto snorted at her response. "Typical arrogance from you Hyugas. Hinata doesn't give me shit like the rest of you. She's earned my respect. You I barely know, you drop into my training uninvited and wasted five minutes of my life that I'll never get back. See the difference?"

Through clenched teeth, she bit out an apology with all the charm of a viper. "My apologies then for my rudeness, Uzumaki-san. I'll be on my way." She then bowed and hurriedly made her way to the Hokage tower.

She let out a deep sigh as she thought about the encounter. _'What the hell is his problem? It was an accident. It's not like I set out to ogle him from the woods. Not that I WAS ogling him. Why do I keep thinking the word ogle? Bah enough of this. I'll just ask Hinata about him later. Not that I give a damn about that jerk. I'm just curious. Curiosity never hurt anyone...much' _Hanabi rationalized.

Dismissing any further thought of the blonde, Hanabi continued on her way to the Hokage tower to receive her mission.

* * *

After finishing his training session, Naruto still felt frustrated. His encounter with Hanabi Hyuga had him unusually flustered. He didn't let people get under his skin like that anymore. He's carefully constructed a mask of indifference and honed it to the point that it has almost become his persona. And yet she's still on his mind.

'_Damn. What is it about her that is pissing me off?'_ Naruto pondered. He decided to head to the bar to erase any aggravation he was feeling on the matter with several bottles of alcohol.

The bar at nine in the morning would a bit unusual even for ninja but for Naruto, it was one of the few ways to cope with everything life had decided to bestow upon him. He didn't care if it appeared cowardly to drink his pain away. Mainly because he didn't care about appearances in general. He'd long outgrown the need to impress other people. And yet this random encounter with Hinata's cute little sister annoyed him.

Naruto arrived at the usual spot; a nameless, dank hole in the wall simply known as _Bill's_. It sat nestled in the shadows away from the prying eyes of any nosey civilians. He liked it because it catered to those of his profession. Which means the owners didn't ask questions and never cut you off. Being former ninja themselves, they knew the lifestyle and what it entailed. They figured you were probably going to die soon anyway, who are they to tell you when you've had too much. At least they'd get a few more coins out of ya.

He settled into his stool at the end of the bar. With a subtle movement from his hand, he motioned to the bartender with two fingers. No words were exchanged since the barkeep knew what his regular customer wanted. A clean glass and a bottle of his best vodka was the standard routine for the spiky blonde. He poured himself a glass and proceeded to empty it of its contents in one gulp. He repeated this act five or six times before he sat there staring at the counter in front of him. The bartender, a grizzled fella of at least fifty or so years, didn't even bat an eye at the behavior. He'd seen it all in his time and for Naruto, this was his custom pretty much every day for the past year.

After a few more glasses downed, Naruto was feeling a little more sedate and stimulated. He began to contemplate his encounter with the dark haired kunoichi. He wondered why he acted the way he did. _'Humph. She had no business being there. No different than any other dumbass that accidentally stumbles into my warzone of a training ground.' _He explained to himself. _'Still, I guess I didn't have to put a kunai to her throat. That was kind of a dick move. Maybe I should apologize if I see her again. Tch…Whatever! These younger ninjas only learn things the hard way it seems. She probably would've nagged me to let her watch if I hadn't. Fuck that, as if I need an audience.'_ He poured and downed another shot of vodka.

He tried to remember what set him off the most. He had pulled rank on her, which usually sends the younger ninjas running home stuttering apologies. That was his intention, as he didn't want to be bothered any further. _'But she stood up to me and told me to lighten up, despite her knowing who I was.'_ He reflected. Perhaps the defiance confused him, as he was used to people kowtowing to his fearsome appearance. _'Arrogant Hyuga girl, who is she to tell me to lighten up anyway? Like she knows what I've been through.'_ The blonde thought indignantly.

He downed a few more shots and then proceeded to feel guilty about his previous line of thinking. _'Of course, what do I know about her to make that judgment either? … I beginning to sound like Sasuke from back in the day; all arrogant and whiny, fucking bastard…bah, I'm such a hypocrite.'_

A sigh escaped his lips. The persona he played as a cold-hearted bastard was sometimes so effective, he could almost forget what he truly felt like inside. Almost. Inside he was a shell of his former self. Depressed and at times suicidal, if he showed his true feelings now, he would be no help to anyone. Moping and laying around miserable isn't productive. So he puts on a front of indifference and dives into his training to rid himself of the negative thoughts that permeate his being every second of his life.

He finished the bottle and motioned to the bartender for another one. The old man said nothing and brought another container of liquor. This time it was whiskey. The man behind the counter of glasses and spirits knew his pattern. Vodka first, whiskey second and then chased it all down with shochu if he wasn't completely shit-faced by that point. He usually wasn't thanks to his tenant. _'Bastard fox never lets me fully ease the pain.'_

The Kyuubi and Naruto had a working relationship but it never required much conversation unless one needed something from the other. With the state of the ninja world being in relative calm after Tobi's defeat, Naruto had not talked to Kyuubi in years. In fact, he has not used the fox's power at all except for his emotional outburst during the… _incident._ The Kyuubi didn't seem like a being that would care much for human emotions nor would it make a very good shrink. Thus the mutual silent treatment that they give each other.

Even though it was silent, Kyuubi was always ever present in his life. An annoying reminder every time he sat down to get wasted as it took a lot of alcohol for him to get good and drunk, but he would give it every effort he had to achieve the goal. By the end of these sessions, he would be fairly gone having drank enough to kill most normal humans. He figured it was better to not feel anything at all than allow his traitorous mind to torment him with memories, which led to him feeling the seemingly eternal pain in his heart and soul.

A half hour passed, and half the bottle of whiskey was already gone before he took another breather_. 'Breakfast of Champions.'_ He thought sarcastically.

This was when he noticed a large object sitting in the seat next to him. He made no acknowledgement of the object's presence. The barkeep brought another glass over, this time with a pint of lager. This was when the object began to speak.

"So, what's eating you, Naruto? You usually are still on the vodka at this point." Choji chuckled at the sight of his friend as he took a sip of his beer. "Ah! Nothing starts the day right like a pint in the morning."

Naruto sighed at the annoyingly chipper behemoth next to him. Choji was probably his best friend at this point but his attitude reminded him so much of his old self that he wanted to vomit sometimes.

He did think about what he had asked him though. '_Was I upset about something?'_ he tried to recall why he was angry in the first place. He was starting to feel lucid from inhaling so much alcohol in such a short time. His memory was failing him. _'Oh yea… Hinata's little sister.' _He managed to extrapolate from his foggy brain.

"Nothing major, Choji. Training hard while more chunins bug me with their presence." He replied with a hint of annoyance. "Don't know how they haven't learned at this point?"

"Uh huh, who's it this time? I figured the word was out on your… training regimen. Must be a new guy." Choji said with a light laugh.

"Girl, actually. Hinata's sister, Hanabi Hyuga." Naruto stated.

"Ahh, now I see. You're seeing some hot young thing on the side and weren't telling me? Man, I thought we were friends." Choji mock pouted to his blonde haired buddy.

Naruto scoffed. "Hardly. She interrupted my session and then gave me attitude about telling her to leave."

"Well, you don't usually have a friendly manner in which you _tell_ people to do…well anything." Choji explained while smiling. "I'm surprised the girl didn't run away frightened like all the others. She must have some guts."

"She's got the name for a reason. That girl's a pistol. She told me to lighten up after I pulled rank on her. I don't know why it got me so flustered though. I usually brush stupid crap like that off. I must be more tired than normal lately." Naruto replied while leaning back in his stool, gazing at the ceiling.

"Eh, who knows? You don't frequently talk to females anymore other than Hokage-sama. You never know, maybe you… and this may sound crazy… like her." Choji teased his friend.

"I honestly don't know what goes on in that head of yours, Choji. You're constantly trying to get me to date when you know damn well I'm not interested. I've tried that scene. Nothing but one night stands and unfulfilled promises." Naruto responded a little angrier than he intended.

Immediately after his rather abrupt break up, Naruto had dedicated himself to training. But he needed an outlet for the stress that that entailed lest he explode which was a very real possibility given who he is. The first outlet he tried was sex. He'd hook up with anything walking. At first it was easy. Naruto wasn't hard on the eyes to say the least. For a time it worked but with each encounter, a little more of his soul died. These loveless escapades ended up making him hate himself more and thus made him angrier. So about a year ago, he stopped trying. Drinking has been the next attempt to cope with the pain and he hasn't given up on it yet. Naruto's nothing if not stubborn.

"From the rumor mill, plenty of girls would line up to be with you." He replied.

"Humph, I know what they want. All they want is a piece of ass." Naruto huffed.

"Lee doesn't seem to mind. I've never seen him with the same girl more than a week and he's done okay so far." Choji countered.

"Lee's like a thirsty man who just escaped the desert to find an average stream of water that tastes like the most delicious thing he's ever found."

Choji just stared at him. "That seriously made almost no fucking sense. How long have you been drinking this morning?"

"Shut up, man. I mean being Guy's disciple for all of his teen years? I'm honestly surprised he's as well adjusted as he is. I'm happy for him that he's getting his though. I just got bored of the pretty faces with nothing behind them. I can barely remember what any of them look like and almost none of their names."

"Easy, man. Besides, you'd offend me deeply if you said they were all bad. After all, you an Ino were a thing for a bit." Choji bantered.

Naruto had a small smile for that. Ino was the one bright spot in his sex-capades. She had tried to get him to open up and was willing to help him with his burden. But he couldn't do that to a friend. Why should he ruin her life too?

"Don't get me wrong. I love you and Ino. You guys are one of the few reasons I'm still here. Ino and I had some fun, I'll admit. But it was for a few weeks and she knew I could never give her what she wanted. But hey, lucky for you we never hit it off, right?" Naruto reminisced.

"Yep lucky me. I would have never guessed the love of my life was right there all along." Chouji chuckled good-naturedly.

"Wouldn't know." Naruto took a big dramatic sigh as he thought about many of the failures he's had over the last few years. "I'm destined to be lonely, man. I mean, who would want to be with a basket case like me?" Naruto asked quietly while staring into his near empty bottle. "Despite wanting the whole death do us part thing, kids, happiness and all that bullshit, I'll never be able to love someone again because of what _she_ did… '_and I fucking hate myself for it._" He added mentally as he continued to berate himself.

Choji sighed. He had had this conversation with Naruto over a hundred times recently. It never changed. He knew girls as an outlet for sexual frustration wasn't going to work but Naruto needed to get a healthy, trusting relationship with someone. Without one, Naruto would fall into a despondent pit like he always does. He'd continue down this path of self destruction, always looking for a better outlet until he finally found one that could end all the pain. He wished he could see the old Naruto just once.

"Well you never know pal. You shouldn't write off the whole female population. There are some damn fine lookers out there. And not all of them will do what Sakura did to you." Choji said as he attempted to cheer his pal up. "From what I can recall of Hinata's sister, she's a cute little thing isn't she?"

"Smokin would be a better term, but looks aren't everything. I've had plenty of pretty girls and stunning women. There's never a connection though." He said despondently into his glass. He shook his head suddenly. "It doesn't matter anyway. I'm sure she hates my guts because of what I did and the reaction she had from it. I probably didn't help matters by being a total ass to her… Argh! Why do I even care? It's not like I like her or anything. I'm thinking about this too much. Chances of me seeing her again aren't that great to begin with… Not that I care." Naruto was rambling at that point.

Choji just chuckled. He hadn't seen anyone get under the blonde's skin like this in awhile. "You never know, pal. As corny as it sounds, anything is possible, when love is involved. My relationship with the girl who used to call me fat is living proof." He then downed his glass and patted Naruto on the back.

"Well, I gotta get going before Ino tears me a new one for being late to training." Choji announced after a brief pause. "Catch ya later, Naruto."

"Later, Choji." Naruto half-heartedly waved as his buddy strolled out the door. He noticed his whiskey was empty. _'Time for my last call of alcohol.' _Naruto thought as he motioned once again to the bartender. With this much alcohol in his system, he could savor a peaceful afternoon nap. After his final drink of the_… 'what was it now… mid morning… afternoon? Whatever.'_ He stumbled his way home and passed out into a dreamless sleep where his mind couldn't harass him. It was one of his few respites from the agony of his life.

* * *

_Two Days Later_

'_Well that was a complete waste of time.'_ Hanabi sighed as she returned from a completed C-rank mission, which only took a couple days to wrap up.

She and her team met up with a group of farmers and eliminated a menacing wolf that was attacking sheep at random. Normally Hanabi doesn't complain about missions, as she is grateful for any one that she receives, but this was well below her level of skill.

'_I mean, couldn't these farmers have just had a couple of pitchforks and killed the damn thing themselves? Why call in a team of ninjas? We're not pest control for Kami sakes!' _Hanabi fumed.

She let the farmers know what she thought of the mission a few times with her attitude. She of course completed it without any complications, but the time wasted was more than enough to make her annoyed.

Thankfully, at the very least she could spend some time with her sister now. Hinata had returned from her mission earlier in the day and Hanabi was on her way to meet her for lunch.

She arrived at Hinata and Kiba's house in the Inuzuka compound and was greeted by the servant at the door. Being the head of the Inuzuka clan wasn't as prestigious as being the Hyuga head, but they still held a decent amount of wealth. Their house was well furnished and had many servants. This of course was nothing unfamiliar to a Hyuga. She sometimes wondered in a morbid curiosity where her sister would live once she became clan head. Guess she'd find out who wears the pants then.

Hanabi made her way to the dining room where Hinata would usually meet with her.

"Greetings, Hanabi-neesan." Hinata said as she cheerfully greeted her sister.

"Ohayo, Hinata-neesan." Hanabi replied with a gentle smile.

The two shared a hug before they sat down and began catching up on their recent lives. They haven't shared a meal in almost a month now, so the two chatted away about various things such as missions, training, shopping and other meaningless stuff. Finally as always, Hanabi shifted the topic towards the clan.

"So, neesan, have you learned anything new about my predicament?" Hanabi asked with a slight bit of hope in her voice that betrayed her calm outward appearance.

"I am sorry Hanabi, but I haven't been able to find anything new. All I know is that the Hyuga by-laws state that if you marry a main family member or a clan heir from one of the other main clans of Konoha, the council can not touch you with the seal. Of course, you already knew this from the last time we spoke." Hinata explained.

"Yes, but there are no members eligible or available from the other clans in Konoha. As for main family members, from the choices available, I think I'd prefer to have the seal." Hanabi said with a heavy sigh.

Hinata sympathized. She knew exactly what Hanabi meant. Having to choose between life with the degenerate sons of the council or the caged bird seal was like choosing between being crushed to death or being hit with a fatal Juken strike in the heart. The results were the same. It was all a matter of semantics.

"We will figure something out, Hanabi-neesan. Don't worry. I won't let my little sister suffer from these ridiculous traditions. If worse comes to worse, I will find a way to sneak you out of Konoha." Hinata reassured her.

Hanabi smiled at her sister. She was so kind hearted and would do anything including risking shame brought upon her and the Hyuga clan to protect her loved ones.

"Arigato, Hinata-neesan. I have no doubt that you would. I just hope it doesn't come to that. Being a missing nin isn't a prospect I want to deal with at such a young age." Hanabi replied with a soft smile to Hinata.

Hanabi removed any further thoughts on the matter and turned the conversation back to other things. She then remembered her encounter from the other day with a certain blonde haired shinobi.

"Neesan, I ran into Naruto Uzumaki the other day." Hanabi mentioned nonchalantly.

Hinata cringed slightly at the mention of the name. She worried about the sanity of her close friend and childhood crush, but the duties to her clan and her husband prevented her from doing anymore then she already has. She often wondered how he was doing. Perhaps this was a way to find out.

"Oh, how did that come about?" Hinata asked trying to sound only slightly interested.

Hanabi smirked knowing full well that Hinata was intently interested about her former crush.

'_You can't fool a Hyuga, neesan.' _Hanabi thought to herself.

"Well, I saw an explosion at a distant training field and went to investigate it. It turns out he was the cause of it. He seems to have a brutal training regimen." Hanabi detailed the encounter to her sister.

"I see. So how is he?" Hinata questioned with a hint of concern leaking into her voice.

"He's an asshole."

"Hanabi, language."

"Well he is. He placed a kunai to my throat for spying on him and then dismissed me as if I was a petulant child." Hanabi grunted, having remembered the reason she wanted to know more about Naruto in the first place.

"Oh…I see…" Hinata said somberly.

"Neesan, was he always like this? I thought you said he was a kind boy who was happy and energetic."

Hinata sighed heavily as she recalled memories of the bright, happy child from her youth. The one who essentially helped her become the strong woman and kunoichi she is today. Even the Naruto of a few years ago was a pleasure to be around. This current one was definitely a dark shadow of his former self.

"No. He was definitely not what he has become. He was kind hearted, boisterous, and above all, happy. Back when our father and Neji-niisan put me down because of who I was, Naruto-kun gave me the courage to believe in myself and showed me what real strength is." She continued on in a hushed tone, "There was a time that I even thought I loved him. I wouldn't be who I am now if it wasn't for him. He truly lived life like there was no tomorrow. I guess we all know why now." Hinata again sighed after referring to Naruto's jinchuriki status.

"What happened to him? Why is he so cold now?" Hanabi inquired, genuinely interested in how someone could go from bright and cheery to frigid and emotionless so quickly.

"He had his heart betrayed and broken badly by a girl he loved. He did so much for her and sacrificed his own happiness but she rarely returned it, and gave her love to someone else. Even then, he still did everything he could do to make her happy. He even tried to bring back the person she loved for her, despite his personal feelings or safety. Knowing what he had to deal with all his life, he probably clung to any emotional attachment he could find, despite how much pain it caused him. It's one of the curses of being lonely." Hinata answered as she began to remember some of the hardships she witnessed Naruto endure when he was a young child.

Hanabi felt anger for some odd reason at the thought of someone changing such a cheerful person to an unfeeling soul.

'_Whoever this girl is, she must be pretty damn heartless.'_

"He told me a few weeks before _the incident_ that he was going to ask her to marry him. I was so happy for them." Hinata reminisced with a small smile.

"What was _the incident_?" Hanabi questioned as her curiosity was now thoroughly peaked.

"I… it's not my place to say. I don't know all the details and even though I haven't spoken to Naruto-kun in years, my heart couldn't take betraying his trust like that, even to my sister."

"What do you mean?"

"The look in his eyes days after it happened; it was the look of someone who had lost hope in the people he once cherished, the people he wanted to protect. He must have felt a betrayal so deep that he totally closed himself off to everyone but a select few. I am, unfortunately, not one of those few anymore, so I can't help him. Still, even though I love Kiba-kun, a part of me to this day wishes that I had more courage back then like I do now. I would have gone to Naruto-kun in his time of need when he had no one, instead of hiding or running away. Maybe then, I would've been able to help him like he helped me." Hinata was visibly saddened by the last fact as she lowered her head in a disgraceful form.

Hanabi had a thoughtful look in her eyes. She never knew what Naruto was like back then, but she empathized with his pain. He carried a burden for the whole village all of his life with a smile until something happened that finally broke him. Even then, he never gave into the hate. Sure he was indifferent to those around him but that's a lot better than killing everyone in a rage. She was amazed at his will. _'I complain about my life in my clan. But he's had it worse off than me and my sister combined.' _The Hyuga girl thought with a bitter taste in her mouth.

After Hanabi broke from her reverie, the two continued to chat for a little while longer before she took her leave. She wanted to get a little bit of exercise in and then turn in early. Another brutal training session awaited her in the morning from her father. She also had to report early again for another mission. Hopefully this one would make better use of her skills.

* * *

The next morning, Hanabi finished her training session with her father and was now on her way to the tower to receive her mission. Her father was unusually light on her this day. She figured he was ill or something, but truthfully, she didn't care. If he dropped dead tomorrow, the only concern she would have is the fact that the clan heir would be passed on to Hinata, and she would be forced to make a tough decision. There would be no love lost by his passing as far as she was concerned. He had made her life hell and she would be damned if she shed a tear over his death.

Hanabi entered the mission center and stood at the door waiting her turn for a mission. Tsunade was delivering missions personally on this day. the Hokage would do this two or three times a week it seemed to help keep a personal attachment to her ninja. Otherwise, it would be a random chunin receptionist that handed out the paperwork for each assignment.

She noticed one Naruto Uzumaki conversing with the Hokage about his mission and couldn't help but listen in.

"Naruto, for this A-ranked mission, you will need a team of at least three members including yourself. There's a bandit force of unknown size that has been terrorizing the smaller villages of Fire Country. They have been reported to have little to no ninja training but they seem to have great numbers. Someone is organizing them. We believe it's a group of missing nin. No word on identities but reports say it's a small group of about three or four running things. Your job is to eliminate them by any means necessary." Tsunade laid out the parameters of the mission to Naruto.

"What's the time frame?"

"You have four days. The reports show that they recently raided a village in the Southeast part of Fire Country and are now headed to a more prosperous village. They should be there within that time."

"Do you know where the missing nin were from?"

"They are believed to be from Iwa but that's based solely on reports of the ninjutsu used. Be prepared for anyone."

"Fair enough, I'll need a Hyuga to quickly locate the ninja within the group. I'll also need a strong, group attack specialist. I request Neji Hyuga and Choji Akimichi."

"Choji will be assigned to your squad immediately. Neji is away on a mission, as is Hinata as of this morning. Since I know how fond you are of the Hyuga family, the only adequate Hyuga available is Hanabi, but she is only a chunin."

Hanabi felt a little put out that she was being underestimated when compared to her sister and cousin. She knew she was less skilled then both, but her arrogant nature couldn't handle the logic, no matter how true it was. A fury was brewing inside her, despite her usual calm in front of authority figures such as the Hokage. She was about to speak out but Naruto chimed in.

"It can't be helped then. She'll be fine for this mission. Me and Choji will handle most of the dirty work anyway. She is a skilled chunin, so she should be able to handle herself in a professional manner." Naruto proclaimed.

Hanabi was slightly astonished. It hadn't been a stellar compliment in reality, but it might as well have been from what she was used to hearing. Quite possibly the best ninja in the village aside from Tsunade-sama had deemed her capable of handling an A-ranked mission. It would be her first A-ranked mission. She had done numerous B-ranks, but that rarely involved elimination on this massive a scale.

"Very well. She's right behind you, so inform her of your decision and be on your way out." Tsunade stated.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Naruto saluted.

Tsunade sighed at his business like nature.

"And Naruto?"

He turned back to face her, "Yes Hokage-sama?"

"Please be careful out there. There are still people here who care about you." The beautiful blond said softly.

"That's debatable." He mumbled. "Well, if that's everything Hokage-sama, I will begin my mission." He replied with a completely indifferent attitude as if he ignored her.

Tsunade sighed in sadness as she dejectedly dismissed him.

Naruto turned towards the door. He addressed Hanabi who was waiting outside.

"I don't need to repeat the whole thing to you, right?" Naruto spoke to her directly.

"Hai, taicho. I won't let you down." Hanabi responded with an uncharacteristic amount of enthusiasm.

"I'm not your captain, Hanabi-san. You're not ANBU and besides, my face is too pretty to cover up with a mask." He replied ironically.

"I'm just your leader for this mission. You can call me Uzumaki-san. As for the mission, I expect you to do your duties to the best of your abilities, no less. I won't tolerate slacking. A moment's lapse on an A-ranked mission could mean death. See to it that you indeed 'won't let me down.' I'd hate to have to explain to Hinata why her sister did not return." He made his expectations clear with a cold stare that conveyed that he meant every word of what he said.

Hanabi resisted the urge to tremble in fear. She would not be intimidated by his presence. She defiantly returned his gaze and confirmed his expectations.

"Understood… Naruto-san." She said as she smirked slightly. She figured that might get a rise out of him but all she got was a nervous look on his face. He seemed like he had something to say.

"Before you go, I… uh… wanted to apologize to you for being a little… harsh the other day. I kind of went too far trying to scare you off and all. I'm not very good with people if you haven't noticed. "

Hanabi's eyes widened in shock over his statement. _'No way! He's actually apologizing to me?! Maybe he isn't such a bastard after all.' _The young Hyuga girl thought as she smiled.

"Yes Naruto-san, I accept your apology. I too, apologize for my actions. I was out of line with some of my comments." Hanabi said sincerely as she lightly bowed to him.

"Yea, yea. We're all nicey nice now. Just be ready to go in thirty minutes at the front gate or else I'll leave without you."

'_And there goes that thought.'_ Hanabi grumbled to herself at his switch back to being a jerk.

"Prepare for at the most a four to five day mission. I don't really want to take more than two days locating and eliminating our targets, so try to keep up. You will be expected to keep a jonin pace for this mission. Time is of the essence. Dismissed." Naruto ordered.

Hanabi saluted and then headed off to the Hyuga compound to gather the necessary supplies for her mission. At last she would be able to prove her skills, at the very least to herself, with an A-ranked mission. She was looking forward to that. She also would gain some time with the mysterious Naruto Uzumaki. Maybe she would be able to learn a little more about him during this mission. Not that she cared. It was only curiosity.

'_Yes, just curiosity. I mean it'd be nice to see the hero of the village in action and to see if he's the jerk from the other day or this normal guy Hinata says he was… smoking hot normal … where the hell did that come from? Traitor mind.'_ She mentally battled her emotions.

'_I really need to get a boyfriend. This lack of experience is making me interested in all the wrong men. Not that I'll have a chance at a boyfriend with my cursed fate.'_ She sighed a moment later.

Shrugging away her depressing thoughts, Hanabi sped towards the compound to prepare. One thing she could count on during this mission. She wouldn't be bored.


	3. Chapter 2

Updated 6/30/13. New content so please read again if you haven't read in a long time.

* * *

Chapter 2

Light dances across the shadows of a candle lit room deep within the heart of one of Konoha's oldest compounds; a room that scarcely sees neither the light of day nor brightly clad visitors. This room only deals in darkness both of the tangible and metaphorical kind. Its current inhabitants possess the later.

Several shadowy figures immerge from the blackness to convene for what appears to be a regular meeting of minds. These cloaked individuals have gathered to decide the fate of their clan as well as politics for the village as a whole for generations. The fate of many has been determined here in the past and today is no different. This group meets now with the single most important purpose of their murky existence.

One of the figures steps forward to address the others. "Gentlemen, the time is at hand. Have the preparations been made?"

Nods of agreement concurred all around. Only six figures in total but their sinister intentions spoke of dire events to come.

A small smirk from the lead individual could not be seen but was conveyed through the tone of his voice. "Excellent. Soon we will take our rightful place at the head of this village and become the most powerful clan in the history of the Elemental Nations."

The excitement in the dim lair could be felt by each and every one of them. The wheels had been set in motion for great change in the Hidden Leaf.

* * *

Hanabi gathered the clothing and supplies she would need for a four day mission and headed out of the compound to the front gate. She arrived a few minutes before Naruto had said to be there and found herself alone aside from the standard gate guards.

After a short wait, Akimichi Choji arrived, carrying a rather large sack over his shoulder. He didn't look anything like a typical Akimichi. Where as most Akimichi preferred the sumo wrestler physique, Choji was built like a freight train. His upper body was enormous and muscular. His abs rippled through his skintight shirt to reveal the solid six-pack that lie beneath. Each of his legs was easily twice the diameter of her waist. That was quite a feat despite her slender figure.

'_He's definitely a sight for sore eyes compared to most Akimichi I've seen around the village. Although the muscle-head look isn't quite my thing, I'll bet he gets plenty of dazed glances from girls in town.' _Hanabi mentally encapsulated her observations about the large man before her.

Choji looked like one of those roided-up body builders you see for the competitions in the capital. Those guys were all about the look though where as Choji was freakishly strong. He is an elite jounin specialist in the village of Konoha. His specialty is power to put it quite simply. He has the required speed level to be considered a jounin level ninja, but his speed is below every other jounin in the village. His raw strength though, is second to none. Not even Naruto or Tsunade can match the destructive force of one blow from Choji. Where Tsunade's power lies in chakra manipulation at the point of attack, Choji's is pure muscle. Add to his raw power the solid library of Earth based jutsu that he has learned over the years and Choji is a figurative tank for any team he becomes a part of. He has the ability to fend off numerous enemies at once, with very little threat to himself. Hence the reason Naruto recommended him for the mission at hand.

Hanabi met his gaze and offered him a greeting. "Good morning, Akimichi-san." She said as she made a salute.

Choji chuckled at her attention to protocol. He was never one for following the rules to the letter so long as the respect was there. "At ease, Hanabi-san. No need to salute me. We are teammates for this mission. And call me Choji. You make me feel like my old man when you call me Akimichi-san." He assured her with a grin.

She relaxed a bit at that. At least she'd have one person in this mission that wasn't a no nonsense stickler.

"So your first A-ranked mission eh? You excited?" Choji asked as he grinned at Hanabi.

"Yes, but I am a little nervous too. I want to prove that I am capable of handling these types of missions but I don't want to let you or Naruto-san down. I am worried that I won't be skilled enough to handle the task." Hanabi replied with a hint of nervousness.

"You'll be just fine. Don't worry about it." Choji consoled her. "Naruto and I have teamed up on more missions over the past two years than I can even count. We know each other's movements before we make them. I have no doubt in my mind that you will be perfectly safe during this mission." He reassured.

Hanabi felt a little annoyed at the insinuation that she would need to be protected. "I can take care of myself, Choji-san. I don't need to be protected." She replied with a huff. "I am simply worried that I won't live up to Naruto-san's standards." Hanabi continued narrowing her eyes at the large man in front of her.

Choji merely chuckled at her reply. Having dealt with bossy women for most of his life being around Ino all the time, he wasn't fazed in the slightest. Hanabi was a lightweight compared to his girl.

"She certainly is a feisty one, eh Naruto?" Choji chortled seemingly to no one.

Hanabi was about to launch into a tirade at Choji for the feisty comment when she felt a presence behind her.

"Her demeanor doesn't concern me so long as she gets the job done, Choji." Naruto coolly replied from directly behind Hanabi.

Hanabi nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke. She hadn't felt him approach at all. Usually there is a faint chakra signature or something when a ninja _poofs_ in from nowhere. Naruto had simply materialized behind her, or so it would seem.

"AAAHHH! DON'T SNEAK UP ON PEOPLE LIKE THAT!" Hanabi screamed at him. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something? I swear every time we meet, you're trying to kill me." Hanabi mocked referring to the last time they met when he greeted her with a kunai to her throat.

Naruto only raised an eyebrow at her outburst and seemed content to just move on but Hanabi felt the need to push him a little.

"Well?" Hanabi asked in a demanding tone towards the blonde.

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to apologize for scaring the hell out of me?"

Naruto looked at her for a moment somewhat confused. "Why would I do that, Hanabi-san? You should hone your skills better to sense the approach of other ninja. It could cost you your life if I happened to be an enemy." He berated her with a hint of anger at having to explain himself.

She merely scoffed and mumbled something about idiotic blondes with no manners.

Naruto regained his composure. "Anyway… I trust I don't need to go over the mission parameters again do I?"

He got two nods in response.

"Good. Then we head out towards the bandit camp. Hanabi-san, take point and scout ahead for any traps or enemies. Be alert for anything out of the ordinary. The forests around Konoha have become fairly active lately with reports of minor confrontations. I don't expect any but let's make sure that no enemy ninja sneak up on us. If they see me or Choji, they'll most likely steer clear but we can't too careful." Hanabi nodded, confirming that she understood her orders.

"Choji, I want you to bring up the rear as usual. Any enemy stupid enough to attack our rear guard will have to deal with you." Choji nodded as well.

"I will be in the middle in order to quickly move between point and rear as well as scanning both sides of the forest for enemies. I don't expect them to know we are coming, but it never hurts to be ready for anything." He explained.

"Yea, yea. Let's get this show on the road, Naruto. I'm feeling antsy and pounding a bunch of no good thugs will help me relax." Choji grinned while cracking his knuckles.

Naruto gave a small grin towards one of his few friends. Hanabi noticed this and gave a small smile of her own. She decided to see if she could provoke a little more out of him.

"What's this? A smile now? Better be careful or you're finely honed public image will start to chip away." She mocked him while smirking.

Naruto narrowed his eyes trying to look menacing, but the way Choji was snickering wasn't helping his appearance.

"Ha. I don't think a couple of grins will shake the ironclad ball-buster's public persona. He's like the boogeyman for annoying chunin. Keeps them up late at night for one reason or another." Choji ripped his friend while continuing to snicker at the constipated look on his face. "You should see yourself right now. You look like Neji."

At that, even Hanabi began to chuckle knowing how stoic her cousin can be. He did resemble a blonde version of Neji with some of his facial expressions.

Naruto merely scoffed. "Blah, blah, blah. Let's go, fat ass. We're wasting time."

Choji continued to laugh. He knew Naruto only called him that when he got flustered. He doesn't get angry any more when people try to call him fat because he is anything but. He worked hard to become solid as a rock with his build. The ladies certainly don't call him fat anymore. Well Ino sometimes, but that's just to tease him. She never says it out of spite like she used to. Plus she could call him anything she wants with a body like that. Naruto is merely using the name as a term of endearment for when he can't think of a witty comeback. _'Someone's getting a little testy.'_ Choji mused.

Hanabi settled down and had a genuine smile of mischief on her face. She was glad that she was able to break through some part of that mask that he wore. Perhaps she could break a few more pieces off during their mission. If anything, it would give her something to do during the downtimes. In the meantime, she got focused again and prepared to set out, hoping that she could set a pace that Naruto and Choji won't demean her for.

'_I don't want to embarrass myself in front of two of the best ninja in the village. I have to do my best.'_ Hanabi encouraged herself.

The three collected themselves and set off on the mission.

It was a fierce pace as the trio blazed towards their destination. At their current rate, they would reach the camp by nightfall. They could then survey the area to find out what this group of outlaws was up to.

After a while, Hanabi was beginning to get winded though. She did her best to not show any outward signs of her distress, for fear of reprimand at being weak. She hated to appear weak to anyone. No doubt the countless mornings spent drilling that notion into her head. Try as she might though, Hanabi was running on fumes and was praying for a break soon. She trudged on regardless.

'_Don't look weak. Don't Look Weak! DON'T LOOK WEAK!' _Hanabi kept demanding of herself.

"Let's stop here." Naruto proclaimed.

Hanabi was confused at first, grateful nonetheless, but still confused. They were nowhere near the site of the camp at the moment. Why were they stopping? She spun around and saw a hint of concern on his face directed at her. It was only slight before it faded away, but she had noticed it before it left.

"Why are we stopping?" She asked between gasps of air.

"Just catching our breathe. No need to be winded if we have to fight in a little while. I haven't seen any patrols, so now is a good time to stop."

"But we can still keep going." Hanabi pressed on, despite her obvious heavy breathing.

"Yea, probably, but we would be in no shape to fight if we were discovered." Naruto then moved closer to Hanabi and out of earshot of Choji.

"Look. I don't think you're weak for needing rest. A true shinobi knows their current limits and doesn't endanger their allies by acting reckless. Rest now and be ready for anything in a few hours. We're going to need everyone to complete this thing." Naruto clarified for her, his disposition never giving away what he was actually feeling.

Hanabi was stunned at his words. He was kind enough to not embarrass her in front of Choji, but at the same time she still had a nagging annoyance at being looked down upon.

"I'm not a kid you know. I can keep up with you guys." She said with as much false bravado as she could muster while trying to catch her elusive breathe.

"Look princess. I'm not trying to treat you differently. I'm just doing what's best for the mission. You being tired don't help us. You being rested does. It's as simple as that. In order for the mission to have the highest probability for success, we need all our members at or as close to 100% as possible. Simple as that."

"I guess you're right. I still don't have to like it." Hanabi lied. She was very thankful for the break.

She almost thought that the blond had shown kindness but remembered the princess shot he took at her. '_He certainly doesn't care about anyone's personal feelings_.' He was still all about the mission. Her well-being was simply an asset to the mission. She was a tool used to complete its goal. He considered her a shinobi to the very definition of the word.

She wasn't sure if she should be proud or saddened. Proud that he considered her an important asset, or saddened that he saw her as merely a tool. He was nothing more than an annoying, emotionless jerk to her. So why was his lack of personal acceptance bugging her?

That was another question for another time. She would use this short break to do as he said. Regain her strength and be the best asset she can be to achieve their goal. Maybe by achieving that would she be able to gain his approval.

* * *

Staring out through the darkness, the squad could make out campfires in the distance. The three shinobi swiftly and silently made their way to the edge of the camp. Surveying the scene before them, Naruto took in the information that he needed.

He gazed down into the valley to see several dozen tents setup haphazardly. The bandits lacked any standard discipline found in some of the outlaw groups he encountered. Those usually consisted of ex-nin and samurai that were outcast from their lands for various crimes. While those individuals were usually unsavory and ruthless, they had been formally trained at some point in their lives and knew the proper procedures for setting up a camp. Most of these bandits were either sleeping or happily drunk around the campfire. He noticed the lack of organization and figured it was due to either one of two things; they were indeed rogues that had very little military training or deviously clever individuals that would purposely set their camp up to look like amateurs. More than likely, they were just roving thugs that happened to find a leader willing to pay well enough to follow.

Naruto was efficient though. He didn't allow this apparent lack of skill to make him underestimate his enemy. A person who underestimates an enemy in a life or death situation usually finds themselves on the wrong end of that equation. He happened to know this by experience with all the certain death situations he only escaped due to his tenant.

He scanned the tents to try and find the ninja leading this rabble. He noticed a larger tent towards the center of the encampment. He had Hanabi verify his thoughts by scanning the tent with her Byakugan. She confirmed that the ninja were indeed inside, alone.

Naruto planned on taking the leaders himself and leave Choji and Hanabi to the thugs. The reports of villages being harassed throughout Hi no Kuni recently had not gone unnoticed by their spy network. It may have appeared like standard thugs going into a town and causing a ruckus but the pattern was a little too convenient for them to miss it for long. Someone was probing their defenses and response times. This group just happens to be operating within Konoha's territory and is reported to be led by several Iwa missing Nin. It's just too much of a coincidence. They had to be eliminated.

Drifting back to the moment at hand, Naruto formulated a plan that would efficiently complete their task. He knew little of the missing nin that were the leaders of the group skill wise, but he figured that he would be able to analyze them quickly enough before they fought. He would need to try and capture one of them alive if possible to interrogate. With Hanabi confirming that there were three inside the tent, he felt confident he could keep at least one alive… probably.

Naruto finally spoke up and relayed the plan to his teammates.

"Alright. Listen up. Hanabi, work on the south side of the camp. Move quickly and quietly through the tents and kill as many as you can without being heard. Move towards the center from that direction. The more you eliminate in their sleep, the less we have to deal with if an alarm is sounded." Naruto laid out Hanabi's task.

Hanabi looked a little apprehensive. "Kill them while they sleep? That seems a little…cold."

"Listen, this is the dirty part of the job no one ever tells you about in the academy. I know from your mission files you've killed before. It never gets easy and it hopefully never will but this is the job we signed up for. There have been several raids on our supply villages over the last few months. Aside from the obvious weakening of our forces, those villages have reported many people kidnapped, including women and children. It may seem cold, but this type of death is far more than any of them deserves." He explained to the raven-haired girl.

Hanabi upon hearing the details looked appalled. "I had no idea they went to that extent. Ok, I can handle it." She steeled her resolve and prepared for the task she would undertake.

Naruto was satisfied with her acceptance and moved to his long time friend.

"Choji, I want you to do the same from the north side of the camp. You know what to do. If an alarm is sounded, draw their attention and take them down as quickly as possible."

"You got it, boss." Choji responded with a grin.

Naruto grimaced a little at Choji's laid-back attitude to what they were about to do. He didn't worry about it too much though. He knew Choji would succeed. He always came through for him, even when they were kids.

"Ok, I'll head in from the East and move directly to the leaders' tent. I'll try to eliminate them quietly. If I can, I'll help you guys mop up the riff raff. I'm not expecting things to be that easy though knowing my luck. Any questions?" Naruto summarized for them.

Hanabi looked at Naruto and then opened to ask him a question. "What should I do if they sound the alarm?"

"Get your ass back to the intercept point ASAP. Take out as many as you can on the way out but get there to prevent any of them from escaping. This valley leaves them boxed in as far as escape routes go. Leave Choji to engage the mass of them and only offer support if needed inside the camp. None of the thugs leave alive."

Naruto noticed that Hanabi didn't look pleased. "I can be of use to you guys in the battle. I don't have to be the cleanup crew." Hanabi stated as a frown appeared on her face.

"You are of use to us by doing exactly what I said. Trust me." Naruto retorted, trying not to get too annoyed with her. He would need her head in the game and couldn't use a pouting teammate.

Hanabi sighed and accepted her orders. Naruto was inwardly pleased that she didn't press the matter. Dealing with bossy females is always a pain, but on a mission it can prove costly.

"Okay, on my signal move out." Naruto whispered to his teammates.

With a quick hand gesture, the three ninja moved swiftly and silently to their appointed tasks.

* * *

Hanabi had an overwhelming feeling of excitement that accompanied her anxiety. She felt like something was wrong with her for being excited at the thought of killing thugs in their sleep, but the feeling was there nonetheless. This was the first time she would be asked to kill for a mission. Sure she had made her first kill a few years ago and had killed one other enemy ninja since then, but they were self-defense on escort missions. This is her first assassination mission and she felt an unnerving level of excitement within her body.

She quickly made her way to the first tent. Inside was a middle-aged man passed out in a drunken stupor. Hanabi almost hesitated, but steeled her resolve and got on with the task. She placed her hand over his mouth and jabbed her hand at the tenketsu for his heart. He never made a sound. That one wasn't so bad. Still, she didn't like the act.

Hanabi moved on to the next tent where two men lay sleeping on opposite sides of it. She moved quickly to kill the first one. He passed on with no resistance just like the previous thug. His tent mate started to rouse from his sleep though. Hanabi made sure that he couldn't sound an alarm. She stifled his mouth and quickly hit the heart and lungs. She felt unsettled by the look of fear within them. After a few seconds, his eyes closed relieving her of the tension.

This is why ninja are different from samurai. Samurai live with a code of honor and rules of engagement. Ninja use whatever means necessary to get the job done. It wasn't a glamorous life as many envisioned. This situation only illustrated the cold reality of the job.

Hanabi maintained her composure and moved from tent to tent, silently and swiftly. She had taken out a dozen men in short order. She felt wrong about the methods, but she just kept reminding herself of her duty. If she didn't do her job today, some poor kid tomorrow in a Fire Country village could go missing from their mom or dad. These men deserved to taste justice.

As it turns out, the group that Hanabi dealt with were all drunk or passed out. It was entirely too easy for one chunin to come in and kill all of these people within their own camp so quickly. She wondered if Naruto had realized this and thus gave her the _easy_ portion of the mission. As easy as sneaking into a dozen tents and killing people without being detected can get. She was slightly annoyed at being thought of us weak again, but then she shook her head of these thoughts.

'_Thinking this way is not productive. Naruto assigned me this task for a reason and I accomplished it.' _Hanabi clarified to herself.

Pleased at completing her task, Hanabi moved on to support her teammates.

* * *

Choji seemed disappointed. Stealth wasn't his strong suit, and yet he still hadn't been detected. He too, was easily dispatching the thugs that inhabited his designated portion of the camp. A snapped neck here, a choke hold there and voila. He was hoping that they would have woken up and given him a challenge by now. Killing people in their sleep was boring.

'_Can't always get what you want I guess.'_ Choji mused.

He finally came to a larger tent where the light was still emanating from within. Inside, the sounds of struggling, laughter and muffled screams of fear could be heard. Choji had enough experience to know what was going on. It was the uglier side of humanity showing itself to the world.

As he approached the entrance flap, he could begin to make out the horrific scene in front of him. Several grotesque thugs were having their way with two helpless girls, a blonde and a brunette, that looked to be no older than sixteen. This made the meat tank's blood boil. Choji despised rapists. There really wasn't a more despicable human being than someone who preys upon the helpless and forces themselves upon them for their own sick gratification. On a more personal level though, the slender blonde girl reminded him of his own blonde beauty waiting back home. The idea of Ino being in that position ever was enough to turn the mild mannered hulk into a raging demon. Choji would show no mercy, for these men deserved none.

He pulled back the flap and revealed himself to the thugs. With a growl he got all of their attention. His killing intent beat down onto the minds of his targets. The demonic look in his eyes and the utter size of his stature struck fear into the souls of these so called men, as well as hope to the helpless victims. Without warning, Choji charged and punched the first man solid in the face. He was dead on impact from the sheer force of the blow. The remaining men began to scramble about, feebly attempting to procure a weapon to strike back with. This was not meant to be though. Choji dismantled every last one of them with brutal efficiency. It was all over in less than a minute.

He stood up to slow his breathing. Letting the adrenaline leave his system, Choji surveyed the situation. The girls latched onto the normally gentle giant, thanking him profusely through tear laden sobs.

"Thank you…*sob*…thank y-you so m-much." The blonde girl mumbled as she cried into Choji's arm.

"No need to thank me. It's what any charming gentleman like me would have done, but it was my duty to do so." Choji comforted the two girls for a moment before turning to leave.

He addressed them once more before he went though. "Get dressed and get ready to move out in about ten minutes. My friends and I are going to eliminate the rest of this filth and we'll take you to Konoha where you'll be safe."

The two girls once again thanked him with hope-filled eyes. Satisfied that they were safe for the moment, Choji set about his task again. He hoped he wouldn't have to see another scene like this one but his experience told him to be prepared for the worst.

He cleared out a few more tents with relative ease before coming to a secluded one with a couple of guards. The other tents didn't have guards posted so this one had to have something worth protecting in there.

Choji snuck up on the bandits and manage to smash their heads together, killing them on impact. He took a peek inside to see if there were any more. With the coast clear, he moved in to find a make shift communications area with a radio currently turned off. He looked through the various papers littered about the desk trying to find anything useful. He finally came across a record log that showed what this group had been up to.

"Kumogakure? What the hell?"

Baffled, Choji poured through more of the documents to see if there was anything else he could make out. Nothing made sense. Cloud had been their allies since the end of the war. Why would they be encroaching on Fire Country territory? He decided to just grab everything and get it back to Konoha command for evaluation. _"Shikamaru will figure this out."_

* * *

Naruto made his way to the main tent. It was large and gaudy by comparison to the standard tents surrounding it in the camp. Three guards leisurely watched the entrance. They didn't look like they suspected any attack.

'_Sigh, well better not look a gift horse in the mouth.'_ thought the blonde haired jounin.

Naruto moved with speed and grace landing silently on the tent pole directly above the guards. In the blink of an eye, he sliced down all three men. Not a sound was heard save for the slight bump of them hitting the ground lifeless. Naruto slowly peered in through the entrance flap to see what he could. As described in the mission reports, there was definitely three missing Nin bearing a hitai-ate but he couldn't make out the symbol on it.

The three ninja, two men and one woman, didn't look like much, but Naruto didn't take chances anymore. He slipped in unnoticed by all three residents making his way to the first occupant. Naruto recognized the man as Jiro Ganseki, a chunin level missing nin from Iwa that was last sighted six months ago near the Kumo border. He was relaxing while reading an Icha Icha book. This brought an inward smile to Naruto.

'_Sorry Ero-sennin. You're losing a customer. No royalty check coming to heaven,'_ Naruto joked to himself in a rare moment of levity.

Naruto brought his hand quickly over the ninja's mouth and placed a seal right at the base of his skull. The man didn't make a sound. It was all over in a second. He slowly drifted to infinity. The seal induced a deathlike state. Kept the prisoner safe for interrogation later and freaked out any allies at how quick someone can drop in battle.

Naruto looked over at the other two occupants and noted their lack of reaction. He took out their companion silently but figured that the other two would notice. Now he's good but their skill level has degraded pretty bad if they couldn't detect their accomplice being neutralized not twenty feet away.

He eyed the girl up next. A slender yet powerful looking beauty as most kunoichi seem to be. Personal experience has taught him that the hotter they are, the more dangerous they usually turn out to be. No need to have to fight that. As he slipped in behind her though, a sound of muffled screams in the distance alerted the two missing nin. As soon as they stood up they noticed Naruto's presence and got into a defensive stance. _'So much for the easy way'_ thought Naruto.

He stood up casually and greeted them now having got a good look at their faces. "Ah so it is you. I figured Jiro couldn't travel without his big sister to mother him, eh Miku? And of course, he needs his butt buddy Daichi Ishii for the stress relief I assume." Naruto noticed the headbands they wore were not Iwa but rather Cloud and they didn't have a slash through the middle. Something to definitely look into.

Both criminals gazed at their executioner. He could see it in their eyes. They knew him. Naruto the Barbarian. Naruto the slaughterer. The Demon Flash of Konoha. Stories were told in Iwa of the horrific things he'd done to those that have gotten in his way. Iwa had crossed his path during missions and didn't usually enjoy the results. Their insistence on remaining hostile to the rest of the ninja world, Konoha in particular, was disappointing to the rest of the alliance. While open war was not declared, a cold war between the two great nations had begun at the end of the Fourth Great War. The nicknames Naruto earned were over the last few years in battles and skirmishes that were not officially acknowledged by either village. Some healthy forms of exaggeration do occur but a reputation is as much a weapon as a kunai.

Naruto began release KI into his opponents like a thick miasma. A fear induced haze made its way through their brains. Just as they were on the verge of cracking though, they looked to the cot where their companion lay motionless and a murderous gleam graced their eyes. Their fury pushed them through the killing intent.

"You son of a bitch! Your ass is mine, you Konoha piece of trash!" Daichi growled at Naruto.

"Hmmm, sounds kinky. But I'll pass. How bout we try me beating you within an inch of your life and then you gladly telling me everything you know."

Miku's mind was a torrent of emotion. Her fear preyed upon her mind with images of Konoha's Demon Flash terrorizing her brain. She was on the brink before she saw her brother motionless on the cot not ten feet away from her. How could she be so lax to let someone sneak up on them. Her brother Jiro counted on her and she dragged him into this mess. The sobering image snapped her back to reality. Why was it like this now? She just wished she could be back home in Iwa. Why did she ever accept that ill fated mission? Vengeance flooded her vision and focused her emotions into an angry spear pointed towards the scum from Konoha. She let out a high pitched battle cry as she turned towards him.

Naruto just smirked at their anger. Letting an opponent lose their cool is a good way to turn the battle in your favor. They fight irrationally and make mistakes. A lesson he was often on the wrong side of in his youth.

"Aww don't be like that. Hate it when they get bitchy."

This had the desired effect as both opponents charged in haphazardly with their weapons drawn. Naruto easily dodged Daichi's onslaught by parrying everything he threw at him. "You mock her after you kill her brother? You Leaf Nin are scum." Daichi scathed.

"Who said I was talking to her?" Naruto replied with a smirk.

Miku proved to be a slight problem due to her speed. She wasn't ever able to land a blow, but Naruto couldn't either since he had to continue countering Daichi's attacks. He was at a stalemate. He would eventually win due to his stamina but the longer the fight went, the greater the chances were that a mistake could cost him. He needed to end this sooner rather than later.

"Sorry but I don't have time to play around. Kage Bunshin." Naruto announced his trademark jutsu and three identical clones took on the task of handling Daichi. The middle clone sent a chakra enhanced punch at his abdomen but Daichi blocked it with his sword. The weapon must have been of inferior quality because it shattered from the blow. It did however protect Daichi enough to merely send him back about fifteen feet from the battle. Daichi was a little dazed and turned back to the three clones, hell bent on ripping them to shreds with his bare hands.

From there Naruto focused on Miku's attacks. She was attempting to throw poisonous senbon into Naruto's vital areas. Some were hitting their mark as Naruto knew they wouldn't affect him too much. The healing effects from his tenant were canceling most of the venom but it was slowing his movements slightly. He boosted his speed to get behind her and was about to strike her neck when he sensed his clones' demise. He darted quickly to his left and avoided an attack from the remaining Iwa Nin.

Daichi had managed to recover faster than Naruto gave him credit for. The cramped quarters as well as the diverse fighting styles of his opponents were giving Naruto a bit of trouble; nothing he wouldn't be able to eventually come out of but not without possible injury and lost time. Time he didn't have. He needed to eliminate the leaders in case Choji or Hanabi had trouble.

He wasn't really worried about Choji. He knew that his friend could handle himself. Hanabi brought about a weird fear in him though. He barely knew the girl, and yet he felt that if something happened to her, he... well, he wouldn't be happy that's for sure.

'_Well, she is Hinata's sister. Explaining things to Hinata would be an extreme pain in the ass. Why am I even worrying about this during a fight?'_ Naruto mentally shook the troublesome thoughts from his mind and focused on his opponents.

Daichi and Miku were regrouping and focusing more on their enemy. No longer were they fighting with rage. They seemed to be letting their experience take over and calm their nerves. The fight would definitely be more difficult now.

The two missing Nin moved in tandem, sweeping in at each side of Naruto. He parried easily, but was feeling the effects of the poison from earlier. Daichi moved back while Miku kept Naruto occupied.

"Doton_: Crushing Rock_!" Daichi announced while making hand signals.

The remains of the tent tore away as three enormous slabs of earth came screaming through the camp arriving at one point. Exactly where Naruto was standing. Combined with the slabs from all sides was the ground below rising up to meet the oncoming crushing rocks. Naruto was crushed under the sudden attack.

"Not so cocky now, you fucking bastard! Taste my rock!" Daichi stood, out of breath but triumphant.

"Geez, double entendre much?" Naruto appeared unscathed as he watched his two opponents stare awestruck at him. "I told you I'm not into the whole dude on dude action."

Daichi quickly glanced back at the mess of rocks to see bits of log splintered and destroyed in the remains. Of course taking your eyes off of Naruto for any amount of time is a mistake.

Naruto closed the gap quickly and began pummeling Daichi with a flurry of punches and kicks. "Never leave home without a trusty log. Always there when you need it." Daichi desperately tried to defend against the onslaught but to no avail.

Miku launched a fresh wave of senbon to throw Naruto off guard. Once again, Naruto dodged the attack and sent a quick wind attack back in her direction. Miku flipped to the side to avoid the attack only to find another Naruto waiting for her. A quick jab to her abdomen backed her away into a defensive position away from Daichi. The clone pressed its advantage but found that Miku was a capable adversary. Despite Naruto's superior abilities, it only takes one hit for a clone to go down. Miku managed a senbon strike to dismiss the clone and made her way back to the fight.

These two obviously had many years of fighting together. They knew when to back each other up and when to make a move. This fight was becoming bothersome.

'_Looks like I'll have to step it up a notch. Geez, Choji. You sure are taking your sweet time.' _Naruto pondered. He could handle these two in a heartbeat but it would require some high level jutsu that would devastate the area. He was trying not to make a crater out of the camp since this wasn't a solo job. If Choji and Hanabi weren't here, he could solve all of this with some high quality _booms_. Probably why Tsunade allowed people to go with him. Less paperwork for the rampant destruction he'd cause.

He couldn't expect reinforcements though. He had to handle this. Miku launched another attack, while Daichi recovered. Naruto engaged Daichi again in taijutsu. His attacks were fluid and true, but the aggravation that was Miku kept him from striking the killing blow.

As if sensing his annoyance and seeking to remedy the problem, a kunai went flying right by Miku's head. She dodged at the last second to avoid certain death. Naruto glanced over to see his ebony haired teammate preparing to square off against the ex-Iwa kunoichi.

Naruto was about to order her to back off and simply cover him, but he knew that would only make matters worse with her personality. He'd merely use this to his advantage and finish Daichi before she got in too much trouble with Miku.

"Be careful, Hanabi. She has poisoned weaponry. Don't get hit by any of them." Naruto offered advice to her before she began.

She gave a cocky smile and then faced her opponent. Naruto was worried about her. He couldn't help but feel concerned about her well being. Naruto hadn't felt this kind of concern for anyone in a long time. Sure he was mindful of his friends. He didn't want them to die in battle, but he trusted them and would understand that if they fell, it was their time.

With Hanabi it seemed different. Ever since that day in the field, he felt old feelings reemerge within him. He was angry at first because these feelings reminded him of the times when he was weak. Painful times with…_her_. So he lashed out at Hanabi. It was too confusing. He would think about it later. For now he simply had an overwhelming feeling to end his fight with Daichi so that he can protect Hanabi from harm. He didn't want her to get hurt if he could help it.

* * *

Hanabi listened to Naruto's orders and was slightly surprised. She was sure he would disapprove of her interference.

'_He has confidence in me to do my job. I won't let you down, Naruto.'_ She gave a confident smirk back to show her understanding.

Moments ago when Hanabi arrived, she saw that Naruto was engaged with the two missing nin. At first she merely observed the battle, looking for an opportunity to help out. She stayed back because she feared that she would only get in the way. That was due to a combination of being told that she was useless most of her life and living in a male oriented society where pride is as vital as any artery. She didn't want to step on his toes.

After a few moments though, she saw the kunoichi was pestering Naruto and keeping him from finishing his opponent quickly. Their enemies were in sync with one another and causing Naruto problems. She felt the need to help him. She knew he was one of the most powerful shinobi in the village and quite possibly the world, but she was his teammate if only for a few days. Teammates watch each other's back.

That is why she was now facing down a jounin level kunoichi in an effort to aid her leader. Sure she was in over her head but she had the approval of Naruto. What could possibly go wrong?

Her opponent scoffed at her appearance. "So this little girl wants to play ninja. I think you should run back home to your dollies before you get hurt little one."

Hanabi maintained her composure. She had had worse verbal barrages from her own father. This simple-minded kunoichi wouldn't throw her off.

"Dollies? Is that what you bring to your grandchild, Baa-san? It seems you are getting a little senile in your old age. Come now. Be a good old woman and settle in for your bingo hour." Hanabi retorted.

Miku stiffened and then grew even angrier. She was only 26 years old and yet this brat was calling her an old woman? How dare her!

"Listen, you little bitch. I bet you haven't even gotten laid yet. So don't go spouting off like you're hot shit. I'm in my prime and I don't need any lip from any prepubescent tarts." Miku growled back.

Hanabi almost stiffened at the getting laid part but again, she could handle verbal abuse. It was what she grew up on after all.

"Aww did I strike a nerve? Not feeling as secure in your looks as you were in your youth? When was that by the way, the second or first great war?"

"You better watch that smart mouth before I shove my fist up it."

"While continuing this conversation about your delusional views on your sexual potency would be quite amusing, I would much rather perform a mercy killing on your wrinkled old carcass and be on my way. Shall we, baa-san?" Hanabi shot back.

Miku could no longer hold in her anger, and once again, she charged blindly into battle. This was the advantage that Hanabi needed to level the field between an experienced jounin and a green chunin. Hanabi settled into her Juken battle stance and fielded the incoming blows. Miku's strikes were messy at best. Taijutsu obviously wasn't her specialty. Getting emotional in battle is never a good thing.

Hanabi calmly closed Miku's tenketsu along each of her arms. It was slowly becoming apparent to Miku that she had made an error in allowing herself to get all riled up. Had she not been tired from already battling Naruto, she probably would have recovered easily enough to handle this Konoha chunin. However, she was winded to begin with and now her anger cost her.

Miku's arms lay limp at her sides. She continued to struggle with her legs throwing kicks and making blocks desperately trying to keep Hanabi at bay. However, it was proving pointless. Hanabi's prowess in the Gentle Fist style was superb after years of grueling practice.

She moved in to make the final strike. A precise attack at Miku's heart causing a tear directly down the middle. Hanabi saw the pain cross the kunoichi's eyes and momentarily felt pity on the woman. The image struck her brain like an electric shock. This was the first time Hanabi had used her family's techniques to kill an enemy during a fight. Is this what it meant to be a ninja? A truly terrifying power she wielded with her hands. The finality of it hit her harder than the silent kills she had just performed a little earlier.

Miku fell to the ground coughing up blood in enormous quantities. Her world slowly faded to black. Her only solace was that she would see her family again after all these years of struggle in exile.

Though shaken by her opponent's death, Hanabi maintained a strong outward appearance. Fear gripped her psyche and threatened to overcome her emotional barriers. It stemmed from the fact that it could have just as easily been her on the ground. She had never felt this fragile before. She wanted someone to console her, as childish as the request sounded but she knew that wouldn't happen, so she trudged on with her outward appearance of indifference.

Hanabi forced her body to move. As she turned back to see Naruto, she found him staring at her. They locked eyes with one another. His cerulean orbs gazed at her pale lavender spheres attempting to decipher her mood. The look he had showed understanding and comfort. She never would have expected this from her blond leader, from what little she knew of him. All her impulses were being drawn towards him. Her façade of indifference was crumbling. She tried to maintain it but was failing miserably.

Naruto must have sensed this because he walked over to her and uttered only one phrase.

"It's ok." He whispered to her.

Hanabi couldn't take it anymore. She crashed into Naruto and began to sob. She felt his arms wrap around her as she let all her pain go into his chest. In a true testament to how screwed up her life was, this was the most positive, physical contact she's ever received from the opposite sex. It was one of the saddest, and yet happiest moments of her young life.

* * *

_Moments Earlier_

Naruto was now able to fight one on one. He made quick work of Daichi. Although Daichi proved to be very skilled, he was no match for Naruto.

Naruto pressed his attack, his fists a blur of motion beating down his opponent's defenses. More and more blows were hitting their intended targets. Daichi's arms became limp from blocking. His moves were sluggish. No time was given to get off a jutsu to counter the onslaught. Naruto swept out his legs dropping Daichi flat on his back. Before he could even gasp for air a kunai was imbedded in his heart. As Daichi lay dying, Naruto offered some words.

"I don't envy your afterlife. But you fought with honor, and died with honor. Perhaps this will make for some atonement in your eternal punishment. Farewell, Daichi Ishii." Naruto gave his version of last rites. He gave this speech to those he felt deserved it from their battles. Those that fought with honor received his honor in return. Those that fought with none received none.

Daichi's anger fled his body. Why die angry? He merely looked on at his executioner with a smirk. "At least I die knowing that Konoha will get what's coming to them. Just you wait." With these final thoughts, he closed his eyes and took his last breath.

Naruto sighed. _'They always have to get a last jab in. Can't just die without enticing my paranoia.'_ Well he had Jiro to interrogate if there was anything.

Satisfied with his thoughts, Naruto turned to see how Hanabi was doing. He looked over as she delivered the killing blow to her opponent. It was efficient and deadly. What he noticed though was how visibly shaken she was at her deed. Naruto knew this was her first major assassination mission, and all the madness was probably just hitting her. He remembered his first true kills and how there was no one there to console him. It almost ate him up inside until he was finally able to talk to Tsunade about it. She had helped him get over it, but the pain nearly drove him crazy on the trek home. He didn't want anyone else to go through that pain.

He dropped his normally cold exterior and allowed a brief glimpse of the caring Naruto to surface. Naruto locked eyes with Hanabi and he immediately confirmed the pain in her. He noticed her try to conceal it, but that was not what she needed. She needed to let it out. Naruto walked up to her.

"It's ok."

Hanabi collapsed onto him and began to cry her eyes out. He wrapped his arms around her and let her weep to her heart's content. He ached at her sobs as an old emotion was swelling within him. He fought to suppress it, but it was there no matter how hard he tried to bury it.

He felt something for the girl. On the surface she was obviously attractive, from a wealthy clan and should want for nothing but he could tell that there was an inner pain that she hid away. These sobs were not just for her situation at hand. They were the sobs of years of pent up anguish. Naruto was an expert in keeping emotions buried. He sympathized with Hanabi and sought to comfort her in any way possible.

The future was uncertain once again. He had resigned himself to the fact that he could no longer feel anything but hatred, pain and betrayal. He was fated to be a hermit that served his village, and would die a lonely man. Now here was someone who he felt compelled to soothe. She had awakened dormant emotions that he had thought were lost to him.

As her sobs began to slow, he felt her nuzzle her face into his chest. He smiled slightly knowing that he had helped her in an enormous way, whether she realized it or not. He felt happy for the first time in years at the thought of helping a person in need. It wasn't just a duty. It was needed for him as well to chip away at the hardened surface of his heart. Perhaps together they could help each other. Of course, he could just be kidding himself. No need to make leaps that far just yet. For now, he would console her and leave it at that. He wouldn't allow foolish dreams of happiness to weigh down his mind. No matter how badly he needed them. Little did he know that the black haired beauty in his arms was struggling with similar thoughts.


	4. Chapter 3

Updated 6/30/13. New content so please read again if you haven't read in a long time.

* * *

Chapter 3

In an ornate room decorated with many expensive tapestries and other luxurious examples of affluence, a group of elders meet to discuss their clan's business. The prestigious Hyuga were renowned for keeping an outward appearance of superiority. This was represented by their remarkable wealth accumulated through many centuries. It is also evident in their unique and elegant taijutsu style of the Gentle Fist known as the Juken. However, their key characteristic that displays this quality is their impeccable ability to keep a cool demeanor in the face of any adversary, be it physical or intellectual. This maddening trait to remain unflappable has caused many over the years to be on the losing end of negotiations with the noble clan from land deals to war treaties. In this room sit the masters of indifference. To gain a reaction from one another was tantamount to achieving a victory in the argument.

That is why it was quite a surprise when the current clan leader had been allowing his carefully crafted poise to begin slipping him over the last few days.

"This proposal is quite presumptuous, even for you Gaikan." Hiashi Hyuga seethed at his council's leader. "I am the leader of the Hyuga clan. Surely you are not foolish enough to miss the insinuation how a suggestion of this nature would be seen by me?"

"Hiashi-sama, please understand. We have no intention of undermining your authority." Gaikan Hyuga calmly retorted. "We were merely setting plans in place for any eventualities." He explained in a somewhat blasé fashion.

"The fate of my offspring is something that I am entirely aware of. Rest assured that I will have a plan in place when I feel the time is right. Neither you nor any of the council need worry about it." Hiashi spat venomously at the councilman's attitude.

Gaikan held in a smirk. He enjoyed watching the levelheaded Hiashi becoming riled up so easily today. He kept his face impassive though. It wouldn't do for the head of the Hyuga Council to be interpreted as receiving pleasure from provoking the clan head.

"You still hold absolute authority over your daughter's fate, Hiashi-sama. We are merely planning ahead in case something should happen to you." Gaikan smoothly reiterated.

"I see. What pray tell do you foresee happening to me Gaikan? Perhaps there is something I should be made aware of." Hiashi replied with an accusatory glare. His anger was quickly growing apparent on his normally stoic face.

"Nothing, Hiashi-sama. We of the Hyuga council merely wish to be prepared for all contingencies that involve your heirs." Gaikan expounded with a little more caution in his voice. He was enjoying the altercation he was causing. His plan was to make Hiashi unstable. Judging from his reactions so far, it was proving successful. But he knew he needed to be careful after the Hyuga head's last statement. For the man could kill him with a mere flick of his wrist. Everyone in the clan, council or otherwise, knew this all too well. Politics and posturing was one thing but if a threat to the clan head was perceived, Hiashi was well within his rights to eliminate it.

"The council would do well to know its place, especially you Gaikan. You are very close to overstepping your bounds. Do not do so again." Hiashi warned as he appeared to calm down a little. He retooled his façade to that of his usual emotionless shell. All the members could see that he was still seething under the surface though.

"I apologize if I offended you, Hiashi-sama. All of us here are well aware of our place, and we did not wish to upset you. However, we are here to advise you as the clan head and to make sure that clan affairs run smoothly. As you are well aware, your eldest daughter is slated to become the clan head at your appointment or in the event of your untimely death. For the safety and the stability of our clan, we must make arrangements for your youngest daughter." Gaikan said as he once again poked at Hiashi's weak point.

Gaikan wasn't a fool to have risen to the top of Hyuga council. He had learned well from his family's past. Ever since his great grandfather had been passed over for clan head, his family has seen their power dwindle compared to Hiashi's. While Gaikan's family wasn't a member of the branch house, their opinion in overall matters had lessoned significantly. Gaikan's father had nearly squandered what little power they had left in the main house, and when he died, he promised not to make that mistake. The Hyuga Council Head knew that he would never be the clan leader in his lifetime, but he could pave the way for his son to claim the title. Through his son, he would claim the power that was rightfully his. Besides, his goals were much more lofty.

He had created his strategy many years before Hiashi took over as clan head. Biding his time for many decades, Gaikan had been waiting for the right moment to make his move. When Hiashi's wife died and he was _cursed_ with two daughters as heirs instead of a son, the cunning man knew the time to strike was upon him. He had been setting things in motion ever since Hanabi's birth, and vowed to himself that nothing would stand in his way of controlling the Hyuga clan.

"Despite you and the council's unnecessary concern, I have ultimate approval of whom my daughter will marry and what her fate will be. This topic is pointless and thus a waste of time." Hiashi declared, frustration seeping into his words.

Gaikan saw his moment to strike. "Hiashi-sama, your daughter is now eighteen years of age. She has been a ninja of this village since thirteen. She is an adult in the eyes of the clan and as such the council can make plans for her future in the event of your untimely death." He countered, as he now sported a slight smirk. But that little expression on his visage proved to a mistake. The Hyuga head narrowed his eyes at Gaikun.

"There is an old saying; 'Even a fool knows not to tempt the gods too much. Otherwise you will incur their wrath.' With that said Gaikan, I suggest you choose your next words carefully." Hiashi said in an eerily calm, but deadly serious tone. This time around, the council head flinched knowing that all his plans could go up in smoke. He cursed his arrogance at that point, knowing that he should have quit while he was ahead. Biting down on his lip, he took the man's advice begrudgingly.

"It is…with the general welfare of the clan in mind that the council has…requested that Fuzen and Hanabi be wed. This will ensure a pure Hyuga bloodline will continue and that it will be of the main house."

He managed to state his formal proposal without stuttering. He did however see one last opportunity to display Hiashi's weakness.

"Since your eldest daughter is involved with the Inuzuka clan head's son, she cannot be relied upon to produce a pure heir. A most unfortunate circumstance."

"I'm glad that you've enjoyed your little display of grandstanding, Gaikan. But in the end, it means nothing. You and the council's request are denied. This decision is final and is beyond contestation. Any more talk of this will result in severe penalties from me. Hanabi will wed who I choose and she will do so when I declare it. I am her father and I have authority over her. I will overlook your actions today Gaikan but I will not be so merciful next time. Do you understand me?" The clan leader asked in a hard voice as he looked him in the eye.

The council head tried to stop his body from shaking under the man's powerful gaze, but it was pointless. Wanting to be the leader of the clan is one thing but having the presence of a leader that Hiashi was exuding right now was something else in its entirety. Even the other elders were fearful despite their outward calm. It was easy to see why he was respected and feared not only in the clan, but by many ninja families in the world.

"Y-Yes Hiashi-sama. Forgive me for my impertinence today. It will not happen again." Gaikan replied in a reserved tone, defeated… for the moment.

"Very well, see to it that it doesn't, for your sake. If there are no other _pressing matters_, this meeting is adjourned." Hiashi gracefully stood and left the room.

Several other council members quickly followed suit while Gaikan remained seated. Three of the councilmen nodded towards him, and then left the chambers. As they all filed out, Gaikan slumped down in his chair and his face twisted in anger. He knew that he lost this battle with Hiashi today due to his own arrogance.

An evil smirk graced his lips a few minutes later though. _"Still though, the plan is intact."_

The battle was lost but the war with Hiashi has just begun. It was one he vowed to win.

"_You fool. You may think you have won today, but you will soon find everything you know to come crumbling down around you. Soon, I will claim what is rightfully mine! The Hyuga Clan will be under my authority and then all of Konoha will recognize our greatness." _

* * *

Meanwhile, several miles from Konoha, Naruto's team was heading back to the village. The trek home was one with mixed emotions.

The mission was an overwhelming success. They had liberated many prisoners held captive by the bandits. This alone was something to celebrate. Just looking at the thankful expressions on the faces of those following them was enough to know that they had achieved a great victory for justice in the world.

However, there were the troubling documents that Choji found. Naruto wasn't an intelligence specialist but the bits he picked up from Jiraiya in his travels as a young teen allowed him to decipher a few things. Cloud was somehow involved in this from what it looked like. The headbands on the three missing nin, the communiqués to and from supposed cloud liaisons to this bandit group and the various equipment with subtle markings that linked them to Lightning Country all pointed directly to Kumo. It just didn't make any sense though.

"_Why would A want to start something after we just got done a war?"_

Naruto figured that Kumo was just as decimated after the war as they were. Where would they get the resources to start another one? More importantly though, why would they risk the peace so soon? What could they possibly gain from it?

Normally Naruto wasn't as contemplative as he was following a mission. Something inside him felt uneasy though. But perhaps it wasn't the mission that was bugging him.

'_Then of course there's that little issue to think about.' _He knew the real reason for his inner unrest.

He caught a glimpse of the problem out of the corner of his eye. There was the stunning, young dilemma that had his thoughts in turmoil. Hanabi was in formation guarding the right side of their party. On the surface she appeared calm and attentive. To Naruto's trained eye though, she too was lost in thought.

He wasn't quite sure what to think of the slender beauty. She certainly had awakened some long forgotten emotions. Ones he had buried deep within his psyche for his own protection. Should he allow them to resurface, or would that bring about more pain? This was something that he would have to _meditate_ on when he returned to the village. Right now, he still had a mission to complete.

Naruto cleared his mind as best as he could and pushed on towards the village.

* * *

At the same time, Hanabi was doing her best to focus on her job. She scanned the surrounding area for enemies with her Byakugan and focused on keeping the survivors inside the formation. It was harder than it looked though. Her mind was chaotic with troubled thoughts, which made using her family's bloodline more difficult than usual.

She had killed a human being up close and personal for the first time, several dozen in fact. But it was that ex-Iwa kunoichi's death that stabbed at her conscience. The young Hyuga kept seeing Miku's life seep from her body. She experienced guilt like she never could have imagined. This was nothing like the faceless lives she had taken before with a random trap set from far away. This was her enemy and yet she was overwhelmed by the finality of life. What's worse is that she knew she was severely outclassed by the woman. It was a very specific set of circumstances that allowed Hanabi the ability to kill her opponent at all. That fact knocked her Hyuga pride down to minute amounts. Next time she may not be so lucky. The fear of inadequacy and the sting of guilt struck hard at her psyche after the battle was done. Thankfully, these feelings were no longer overriding her functions.

She had her squad leader to thank for that. The consolation he offered was a true blessing. She didn't know if she could maintain a steely mask the whole journey home. Being able to release her sorrow was an immense relief to her.

What caught her off guard though was the amount of pain she put into her release. She knew it wasn't just the kills or the feeling of incompetence and helplessness that she was venting. She was using Naruto as a pillow to cry on for the past ten years worth of frustration and anger she had experienced. The pain she unleashed was for the beatings from her father disguised as training. It was for the impotency she felt for being a pawn for the Hyuga council. It was for the hopelessness that embodies her future of early death or life on the run. Hanabi let loose all her pent up emotions onto Naruto's willing shoulder and she couldn't help but feel immensely grateful for it.

She allowed herself a fleeting look towards the blonde that occupied her thoughts. As she expected, he was focused on the task as usual. No longer did his eyes hold the caring support that they had only hours earlier. Now his demeanor was strictly professional with his eyes focused and posture poised. His resolve was unwavering from her perspective. She wondered if it was all just a dream. Surely this man next to her couldn't possibly have been the one to comfort her in her time of need.

Hanabi let out a quiet sigh. She had some confusing thoughts to go over when she returned home. Till then, she had a job to do. With that, Hanabi resumed her surveillance, not knowing that he felt almost the same way she did.

* * *

The group arrived in Konoha at about mid afternoon. The sun was still high in the sky, but it was making its way towards inevitable slumber. Hanabi couldn't have been happier to see that enormous gate. The mental and physical fatigue she had endured on this mission was far greater than she expected it to be. She couldn't wait to take a hot bath and a long rest.

Hanabi turned to her right to see her blonde taicho run his fingers through his golden locks. Hanabi was mesmerized for a moment, wishing to stroke and caress his beautiful hair while his head was in her lap. She shook her head of those thoughts as a light blush crossed her features. _'Maybe a cold shower would be better…'_ She thought to herself with an inner chuckle as her blush vanished.

Naruto motioned for everyone to stop. He then turned to address them. "Choji, take the refugees to the hospital to have them checked out. Fill out a report on all of them and bring the information to me when you're done."

"Will do. I'll catch up with you later at the usual spot. Come on, follow me." Choji responded as he gave a half-hearted salute and motioned for the group to follow him. He grinned at the girls and led them off towards Konoha Hospital. They happily followed the muscle bound hunk.

The blonde then turned to Hanabi. She looked into his eyes trying to decipher what he was thinking or feeling. She couldn't pull it out of him though since he was keeping his emotions well hidden, much to her disappointment. His voice startled her from her reverie.

"Hanabi, you… did good. I gotta admit that I wasn't sure what to expect of you at first, but you didn't fuck up."

"Umm, thank you Naruto-san?" Hanabi responded, unsure of how to take that assessment.

She noticed that he became slightly uncomfortable, as if he was trying to say something. He began to raise his right arm towards his head, but quickly recovered it and placed back at his side.

"Well… yea, that's it for now. Get some rest. I'll go take care of the boring ass paperwork. See you around Hanabi-san."

She nodded to him reluctantly and watched him disappear in a swirl of leaves. Hanabi sighed sadly. _'Hanabi-san again? So much for building a rapport.' _She said in her mind joylessly. With nothing else to do, she turned around and headed for her house. She was definitely going to get cleaned up and try to forget this whole mission. Something told her that it wouldn't be that easy.

* * *

Naruto appeared next to Hokage tower and let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He recognized how awkward he felt speaking with her. He almost had a return of his nervous gesture of rubbing the back of his head from years ago.

'_Ugh! Get a hold of yourself, you baka. She's nothing special! Why do you keep thinking about her?' _He tried to berate himself. He needed a drink to forget all this nonsense.

Naruto made his way to the mission center next to the tower and filled out his paperwork. He wasn't required to report to the Hokage unless she wanted further details on the mission. He knew once she read them that he'd be in front of her soon enough. Naruto wanted to get a few drinks in before he had to deal with that headache. He did make sure that the documents got to the Intelligence department though and the prisoner was deposited with the interrogation unit. Hopefully Shikamaru's team could make sense of the documents and Ibiki could get anything useful out of Jiro.

After that, he headed for the bar. He was hoping Choji wouldn't be there just yet. He wanted to get his buzz going before he had to deal with his buddy's banter.

As he entered the bar, he found that his luck wasn't as good as he remembered. Choji was waiting for him at the bar with a bottle of vodka and a glass next to his beer. Letting out a sigh, Naruto made his way over to him.

"So, the refugees get checked out okay?" He inquired.

"Yep, thankfully there wasn't any major damage to any of them. The civilian council liaison was at the hospital. They're going to set them up in an apartment for a couple of months before they can get back on their feet or return to where they are from. Damn shame too. Those are some real cute girls. It sucks that there are still people in this world that would do that kind of thing to someone so innocent." Choji mused on the subject.

"The world is full of assholes. Thankfully we can get satisfaction out of eliminating some of those bastards for our job." Naruto responded as he poured his second glass and downed it.

"Going heavy already, eh? Something bugging you?" Choji asked, already knowing the answer.

"I don't know why, but this mission was more stressful then I thought it would be." Naruto lied. He knew why, he just didn't want to get into it with Choji.

"Sure it wasn't a certain pale-eyed teammate causing you stress?" Choji teased.

Naruto let out a groan, knowing better than to try to hide his problem from him. He wanted to avoid this, but he knew it wouldn't be possible. "I'm positive it's not her." He grumbled, trying to sound convincing, but he knew it wasn't.

"Sure, sure, keep telling yourself that. You know, sooner or later, you're going to have to admit it." Choji offered with a grin.

"Admit what?" Naruto cautiously asked with a slight scowl.

"That you're human. That you find a girl, no woman, attractive and that you still have a heart that pumps blood like the rest of us." Choji jibed.

"Whatever, man. Attraction was never the problem for me." Naruto muttered as he downed his fourth or fifth glass of vodka. He wasn't really counting.

"Just spit it out already. What the fuck is bothering you? I am no psycho analysis guy but I can probably help. Plus, have you seen my girlfriend? I think I know a thing or two about landing _difficult_, hot chicks." Choji bragged.

Naruto gave a half hearted chuckle at that. "Yeah right. The only reason you landed Ino was because she decided to give you a shot after all that begging you did. You know pity doesn't count as expertise." Naruto light-heartedly teased Choji.

"Ah fuck you. I didn't beg, I wooed her with my charm. She couldn't resist _Big Poppa Pump_." Choji said proudly as he puffed his chest out to further illustrate his point.

"Oh really? Should we ask _Mrs. Pump_ what her take is on that, oh great Akimichi-sama?"

"Hell no! She'd kick my ass nine ways to Sunday. Though the make-up sex would certainly be worth it."

"Heh, I'm sure it would, masochist." Naruto laughed and then settled back into his drinking routine. He was glad for the temporary mirth he had with his childhood friend. But as soon as it left, life's troubles fell on him again. He let out a sigh that Choji of course noticed.

"Naruto, you really have to let it go. It's been what... three years now? You need to move on. I know it sounds harsh coming from me, but for Kami's sake, life is passing you by." Choji said in a serious tone as he scolded his pal.

"I know Choji, I know. It's just…you know..." Naruto trailed off again.

"No, I don't know. You've never really enlightened me as to what's going on in that thick skull of yours. So tell me." Choji wasn't pulling punches at this point. Naruto could tell. He really didn't want to unload his emotions to anyone but he was just drunk enough to not really care anymore.

'_What could it hurt? It's not like I don't trust him…' _He mused.

"I…still have feelings for her."

"Come again? I thought I heard something crazy in my ear"

"I still have feelings for _her._" Naruto declared honestly.

"Really? Sakura!? How could you possibly have a shred of feeling for her? She fucking played you for a fool. She doesn't deserve anything from you." The irritation in Choji's voice clearly showed he was annoyed.

"I know! That's what pisses me off. I mean, if I can't even get over a girl that betrayed me so badly, how can I ever learn to love another? As much as I want to forget her. To hate her and despise her for the rest of my life, I just…can't. And I hate myself for it." He slammed his head down in disgust.

Choji sighed quietly. He lowered his head with slight shame, understanding what he meant. If his circumstances were different with Ino, he would be feeling the same way the blonde is now, if not worse. And with the way the mind jutsu expert treated him back then, he almost did go down that road. He was about to speak up but Naruto continued.

"I put my full trust into her, Choji. Something I've done to only a chosen few. I've never loved anyone in my life more than her. Even after I made that promise to her back then, to bring that bastard back to her, she was still the most precious person I have ever had… and she betrayed me. So what does that leave for the rest of my life? If the most beloved person in my life, the one I gave my heart and my life to can stab me in the back, how can I trust anyone ever again? If I can't trust the one I'm with, then love has no meaning…" Naruto voice started to crack as he downed another glass. The vodka was now empty and he motioned for the tender to send him a bottle of whiskey.

Choji felt pity for his pal. He knew that his blonde friend has faced things in his life that probably would have killed him a long time ago but he had never seen him have such a look of despair before. It honestly made him fear for him.

"Naruto, look…I…can't say I have ever felt anything even close to what you have but you can't live like this forever. Our job is fucked up enough as it is. We might die tomorrow for all we know. We don't get the luxury of time to sulk in our sorrows. Embrace what little life you have left and enjoy it, man." Choji said in a rare sage-like tone as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're right…but I just…ugh…I just don't want to be hurt again. I don't think I can take it again." Naruto said as he offered a mirthless chuckle. "It's sad really. I can face down Akatsuki, go toe to toe with S-Ranked missing nins, deal with the pain and stress of the Kyubi's chakra, but I can't handle being hurt by a woman. I'm pretty damn pathetic." He finished in a melancholic tone.

"No Naruto, you're human. People get betrayed and rejected all the time. The real strength comes from the ability to move past it and not let that person affect you." Choji proclaimed. "I'm not telling you how to live your life, but you made it this far as a ninja because you never gave up, no matter what people thought or said, myself included. You shouldn't give up on pursuing happiness, man. I'm not saying it won't end in rejection or heartache…"

"Oh thanks…" Naruto scoffed as he cut him off.

"I'm just saying it takes real courage to try. If there's one thing I've ever learned about you, it's that you were never short on courage. So don't prove me wrong, man." Choji said as he gave him a brilliant smile.

"Who knew that big ole fat kid from our class would be the wise sage, eh?" Naruto couldn't help but give him a bit of his old trademark grin.

"Yea well don't let anyone know alright? I'm popular enough with the ladies as is. The last thing I need is an even more jealous Ino." Choji downed his beer, dropped some money on the bar and got up to leave.

"Don't short change yourself, Naruto. Out of all the people in this village, hell, this whole world, you deserve happiness. So don't mope around the rest of your life. It's goddamn depressing to look at. I'll see you later. Just don't forget that there are still people in your life that give a damn about you. Ino and I are a couple of them." Choji said with a final smile. He then slapped Naruto on the back good-naturedly and headed home.

Naruto pondered his friend's words, sensing the sincerity behind them. It wouldn't kill him to try and move on. Unwillingly, images of Hanabi came into his head as he thought of the idea. He envisioned her with him, together. A loving wife, a happy family, a bright future. These were all ideas he had once upon a time with another woman. Dare he dream of them again?

'_Tch, it's stupid to even think of these things. I barely know this girl and she probably doesn't have those kinds of feelings for me. So why torment myself?' _Naruto thought negatively as he shook his head free of his fantasy.

He downed the last of the whiskey and decided to head home. He paid his tab and headed for the door. On the walk home, his thoughts betrayed him once more as they returned to the pale-eyed beauty.

'_I got to stop thinking about her. I probably won't even see her again for a long time. She's not a jounin. She's not on my main squad. She doesn't train in the training grounds often, so I'm never going to see her. Stop torturing yourself about it. It's nothing more than physical attraction anyway. So no need to get all bent out of shape over it.'_ Naruto said in his mind as he finally resolved to ignore his feelings.

As he entered his apartment, he stumbled towards the shower and made an attempt to wash away the grime from his mission. Having failed at that, he settled for getting changed and sleeping it off till Tsunade beckoned for him. Staggering around his room in a drunken haze, he was looking for clothes to throw on but he ultimately crashed on the bed. He passed out as soon as he hit the mattress. The stress and fatigue of the mission, his still unresolved pain and the two bottles of alcohol he consumed finally caught up to him. Perhaps after a good night's sleep, all these crazy emotions will be forgotten.

* * *

Hanabi arrived at the compound and was going to head straight for her room. She was supposed to meet her father whenever she returned from a mission, but she didn't have the patience to deal with him right now. Her mental and physical exhaustion would have made her a mess in front of him and she showed enough _weakness_ for today. She didn't feel like dealing with the insults and the reprimands either.

She told herself she would see him tomorrow, after a good night's rest and a shower. God did she need a shower. She wanted nothing more than to wash away everything about this mission.

She entered her room and closed the door. It was a decent sized room, one that is expected of a noble family. A private bathroom and access to a personal onsen that she and Hinata shared when her elder sister still lived there were just a few of the standard luxuries the Hyuga's possessed.

Hanabi made her way to the bathroom and pealed her clothes away. Her delicate skin was covered in filth and muck from the mission. Dried blood stained parts of her clothing and some of her skin. Missions rarely afforded you the time to clean yourself up properly. A quick splash in the face from an ice cold stream was about as lucky as you got in the field. She stepped into the shower and basked in the warmth that cascaded over her exquisite curves. This was exactly what she needed.

Feeling refreshed, Hanabi put on her robe and sat in one of her comfortable chairs. She curled her legs up and closed her eyes trying to relieve the stress from the past few days. A knock at her door though, ruined that plan.

With a groan, Hanabi opened her eyes and activated her bloodline to see who it was; a standard servant. Probably just delivering a message.

"What is it? I'm relaxing." Hanabi bellowed in a peeved tone.

"Forgive me Hanabi-sama, but Hiashi-sama wishes your presence at once." The servant responded with a nervous manner. Obviously he didn't want to offend Hanabi, but he certainly didn't want to annoy Hiashi. It was a very easy decision for whose wrath he would rather incur.

"Ugh, very well. Tell him I'll be there in ten minutes. I'm getting dressed." Hanabi grumbled. She was hoping to put this off till the morning, but at least she had a shower.

After putting on some presentable clothes, Hanabi made her way to her father's chambers. Usually she was required to meet with him to relay how her missions went. It wasn't out of any sense of pride or concern for her welfare. This was simply protocol for all Main Branch Hyuga members to report to the clan head after a mission. To put it in blunt terms, these reports were meant to boost egos or reprimand weakness. Usually her father bestowed the latter on her. This was the reason she had hoped to wait till morning for her verbal abuse.

"Might as well get it over with." Hanabi mumbled to herself.

She entered her father's chambers and stood vigilant before him. He gazed at her with uncaring eyes, cold and unnerving as usual. Hanabi always found it difficult to bear her father during these sessions, but she wouldn't let him see her weakness, not tonight. That would only incite further wrath.

Finally, Hiashi spoke. "Report." He said in a simple, but authoritative voice.

"Hanabi Hyuga, returning from a successful A-ranked mission." Hanabi monotonously recited. This was standard procedure for all Hyuga debriefings.

"I'm surprised they allowed one so weak on an A-ranked mission. I am curious how it was you came to be a part of it." Hiashi belittled his youngest daughter.

She wanted to lash out at him right then and there as her anger quickly spiked to rage levels due to her exhaustion. Hanabi refused to show any emotion though lest she give him more fuel to burn her with. "I was requested by the mission commander. He required a Hyuga's bloodline to aid in a swift completion." She explained to him, keeping her monotonous tone.

"Did you uphold the pride of the Hyuga?" Hiashi responded with equal monotony.

"Yes, Hiashi-sama." Hanabi replied, refusing to call this _man_ father.

"Very well. Who was the leader for the mission?" Hiashi seemed somewhat more inquisitive than normal. This was different for Hanabi. Usually she would give the mission rank and success or failure. He would pry into the _Pride of the Hyuga _bullshit and then be done with his debriefing. Never did he care about who was on the mission. They were inconsequential in a Hyuga's eyes.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Hanabi answered in a straight forward manner.

"I see." Hiashi didn't reveal any intent behind those words, but Hanabi didn't like the way he mentioned it. There's was definitely a reaction of sorts but it was unclear what kind of history Hiashi had with Naruto.

"Either way, it is insignificant. You have actually managed to not embarrass the clan for once. After all, success in high ranked missions is expected of a Hyuga." He complimented poorly. Somehow compliments from Hiashi weren't very reassuring.

Hanabi was growing ill of being near her father. "Will that be all then Hiashi-sama?" She asked with a slight drop of urgency in her tone.

"There is one more thing that you should be made aware of. The council, antiquated idiots that they are, seemed to believe that they had a say in who you will wed." He explained in a slightly serious tone. This comment struck a chord in Hanabi as a chill ran down her spine. She knew her father controlled her fate, but she couldn't help but feel apprehension grasp her heart and squeeze it tight.

"Wha…what have they said to you?" Hanabi inquired nervously, understandably fearing his response.

"It is of no concern. They have requested that in the event that something happens to me, they have chosen Fuzen as your future husband in order preserve the pure bloodline." Hiashi responded. Her heart nearly stopped. The very thought of that boorish, foul oaf of a man marrying her made her physically ill. Her shock flashed across her face before she could control her emotions once again.

"How can they do this? Isn't that usurping your authority?" She blurted out, wanting to hear his thoughts on the matter.

"I told you, there is no need for concern. They can make any foolish requests or decrees they like, but in the end, it's only exercise in embarrassment for them. I make the decisions on matters of this kind. They know full well of their place. It was merely a poorly executed attempt to make me look foolish in front of the council members, something that the council leader learned the hard way not to try with me again." Hiashi replied with an angry voice as he shared a rare bit of emotion in front his daughter. Anger that wasn't directed at her. "I will decide who my daughter is to marry and she will be wed when I choose."

'_Hello, standing right here.' _Hanabi thought with sarcasm, since she didn't feel any reassurance at his words. '_Besides like that's any better.'_

She knew her father didn't actually care about her happiness. He only cared about his legacy. Whether he cared to admit it or not, Hinata and Hanabi were all he had left. Their futures would write his legacy. He would have absolute control over that, and no one would take that away from him.

"Think nothing more on the matter. I'm not departing this world anytime soon. When I feel a man of adequate stature is worthy of marrying into our family, I will choose him. You may take your leave." Hiashi signaled for his daughter to go and returned to his desk. The dismissive wave of his hand seemed to signal that he did not care if she left or dropped dead in front of him.

Hanabi bowed low and then made her way quickly out of his chambers. She moved to her room at a quick pace, but still dignified in her movements.

Once she was inside, she nearly broke down crying again. Life with that wretched bastard, Fuzen, the council leader's son, is what her council tried to sentence her to? Now she was forced to actually have an opinion on her father's health. If he died, her life as she knew it was over one way or another. She was hoping nothing would happen to him now, despite how many times she wanted him to drop dead.

The more she thought about it, the sicker she felt. Something wasn't right. _'Why would the council make this request now? Sure I'm eighteen, but it only serves to infuriate Hiashi. They have to be up to something.'_

Stray thoughts of Fuzen Hyuga surfaced in her mind. He was the stereotypical, spoiled nobleman's son. A gangly looking man with little to no muscle build from lack of training, he does whatever he wants to whoever he wants and has his father get him out of any trouble. Nearly thirty years of age and still acts like he's fifteen. No maturity. No dignity. He is a despicable example of a human being.

What scared her most was the fact that Hinata being the heir meant she could still receive the curse seal. That would basically make her his slave. She felt so weak and helpless, that the feelings from the mission resurfaced. Her inadequacy as a ninja was also bringing about her feelings of inadequacy as a person. She was weak. She was nothing.

'_Enough! No more feeling sorry for myself! I won't be a pawn anymore!'_ Hanabi shouted within mind as she fortified her resolve. _'I will train to protect myself. I am no one's puppet. If I fight for this village, then I will train to be strong enough to defend it on my own. Even if I have to become a missing nin, then I will train strong enough to be one who can handle her own affairs. I am Hanabi.' _She vowed to herself with complete conviction.

Hanabi felt a surge of inner strength flow through her, never feeling this confident in her entire life. She was fed up with being used, and wanted to be her own person for once. She needed to train hard to become a strong and capable ninja.

_'Who can I get to train me though?' _She pondered to herself.

Ebisu was currently assigned a new team of genin so he wouldn't have the time to train her. Most other jounins could be asked, but some were very eccentric. She realized that she only knew a handful of jounins in the village. Her sister and cousin rarely had the time. Her brother-in-law was out of the question as he was constantly out on missions and just annoying in general. That left really only two other jounin she knew, and she didn't really think they would be available or willing.

'_The worst I could do is ask. All they can say is no.' _Hanabi rationalized.

Feeling confident, she figured she had nothing to lose. If either of them trained her, great, if not, she's in the same boat as before. She was determined to get stronger. She was tired of being weak. One way or another, she would become independent.

With that, she set off to find her hopefully future sensei. Now to figure out where one of them lived.

* * *

Naruto was enjoying the blissful slumber of a drunken sleep. There were no dreams of pale-eyed beauties or the escapades that they could have. No thoughts of Pink haired turncoats and the lies that they lived. No memories of a village of ungrateful bastards bent on destroying the mind of a young man that embodies their salvation. Instead his mind was thankfully blank. Nothing but darkness. A rare treasure in the course of his tumultuous life. Nothing to torment him. Nothing to judge him. No one to betray or hurt him. Heavenly silence and the peaceful calm it brought.

So it was with great annoyance that he awoke to the sound of his doorbell ringing over and over again. All his troubled thoughts plunged like an anvil into the shallow pool that was his mind. Couple this with the woozy feeling of inebriation still fogging his senses and he wasn't really happy with being awake. Staring at his clock he realized that it had only been 3 hours since he passed out.

'_Who the hell needs me now? Can't this fucking village run without me?' _Naruto raged with a growl coming from his lips that would make Kyubi proud. He was truly pissed that he couldn't get a few hours of reprieve from his duties even after completing an A-Ranked mission.

Stumbling to his feet and throwing on a pair of pants, Naruto made his way to the door. He disregarded a shirt or shoes but did absentmindedly grab a kunai. It was a reflex at this point to be armed and ready for anything, even while drunk and half asleep.

He swung open the door and prepared to scold whoever was behind it.

"WHAT!?" Naruto shouted, ready to cut the person's head off at a moment's notice.

He was caught off guard by the person standing before him. There was one of the many problems rolling through his head lately. Of all the people he expected to be there, she was pretty far down on his list.

Looking a bit stunned and nervous for a second whether by his appearance or his loud introduction, it was uncertain to the blonde. However, she quickly gained her resolve and spoke to him. "H-hello Naruto-san. S-sorry to bother you so l-late, but c-can I have a word with y-you?" Hanabi asked in a mouse-like voice, stammering like her sister used to do. She noticed the kunai in his hand and the pissed off look on his face, and honestly didn't want history to repeat itself like it did the first time they met. Then again, maybe ringing his bell multiple times like a kid wasn't such a good idea.

Naruto's brain shut down. This had to be a ridiculous dream that his mind was conjuring up just to fuck with him. Why else would the girl he has been thinking of for the past few days suddenly appear at his doorstep? He was just tired and intoxicated enough to go with this train of thought. He figured he might as well let this play out because he wouldn't be able to mess with a dream anyway. Hell, maybe it would end up with the two of them having crazy sex on his couch. At least that would be an entertaining dream.

"Sure, why the hell not?" Naruto halfheartedly declared and left the door open as he entered his apartment.

The girl hesitantly followed him in. She indeed sat down on his couch, only confirming the blonde's notion that this was all just some crazy delusion he crafted in a drunken haze. Her shy nature and introspective look wasn't typical of the image he had of her. Another key that this wasn't real, as far as his mind is concerned. "Where's the little firecracker I met?" He joked to himself.

"Excuse me?" The kunoichi said with a little sass in her voice as her eye twitched a bit at hearing his comment. She was obviously thrown off by his suddenly outgoing nature.

"I'm sorry. Did I say that out loud? My mistake. What can I do for you Hanabi-_chan_?"

Hanabi appeared to be flustered by his unexpectedly informal attitude, which caused a blush to adorn her cheeks. "I…umm…I came here to… ask you something." She finally stuttered.

"Obviously, let me guess, you want to declare that you find me irresistible, you couldn't go another minute without seeing me and you want me to fuck you until you scream my name, right?"

"W-what?!" She shouted, obviously not expecting that.

"Hee hee, of course. Let's go with that line of thought, princess. Might as well make this dream as fun as possible right? Next thing you'll bust out one of those cheesy manga lines like 'Please be gentle' or 'true love will prevail.'" Naruto continued to ramble on his inane thoughts. He was still a wee bit drunk because even now it didn't occur to him that maybe this wasn't a dream. His delightful ignorance kept him laughing at the situation before him.

Naruto made his way to the kitchen and proceeded to find an unopened bottle of whiskey. His love of foreign alcohols and his deep depression left him with a ready supply of _medicine_ in his cabinet.

Naruto produced a glass and continued on with his imagination. "Care to share a drink with me, princess, unless of course that's not proper?"

Somehow, he was actually managing to be charming and not coming off as a drunken lunatic. Hanabi walked up to the counter and motioned for the glass. Naruto was certain now that this was a dream. _'No way would a Hyuga stoop so low as to drink whiskey with a commoner.' _He thought to himself with the little resolution he had at the moment.

Confident in his assessment, he filled her glass and rose up the bottle. "Let's share a drink of loneliness. It's better than drinking alone." He toasted and then chugged the remainder of the bottle as she emptied her glass.

Now he was feeling very dizzy. "Oh yeah...That's some good shit…" He declared with a slight hiccup. He proceeded to fall straight down onto the floor face first. He was out cold. A return to the darkness. This time, he wasn't as grateful, because in the back of his mind, he kind of wanted to see where that dream was going.

* * *

Hanabi was at a loss for words. There before her was the man she wanted to be her sensei passed out drunk. He was a far cry from the competent machine she was used to seeing. His absurd ramblings of dreams and loneliness made the whole situation seem surreal.

She had spent the last two hours searching for his home after she had given up on finding Choji. She figured that his style may not fit her own anyway. She went to the Hokage tower and asked around, but no one seemed to know. She somehow stumbled across his address in the library of all places. Public records were public records she guessed. From there she headed straight over to ask for his training before she lost this newly found courage.

Hanabi could never have expected the reception she received. From being scolded at the door to the drunken toast before the face plant, this was a unique situation for her. Her emotions had just gotten off a roller coaster ride from the bizarre scene. At first she was upset at being yelled at, despite her rudely waking him up via his doorbell. Then she was annoyed at his joke about her name. This was followed by the embarrassment and hidden delight of Naruto declaring that he wanted to have sex with her in a drunken confession. The ride concluded with a sense of disbelief.

Now she stood in the blonde's house wondering what the hell she was supposed to do. Since she usually doesn't drink alcohol, the foreign whiskey was giving her a bit of a buzz at the moment making her decisions tough to make. She came to ask for training and she was still determined to get an answer. It seemed that she would be waiting for it though.

Hanabi glanced over at the clock that read 9 p.m. and sighed.

_'I guess I'll just wait here till he wakes up.' _She declared to herself.

She stared down at the blonde and couldn't help but giggle at the ridiculous sight he made. Here was quite possibly the strongest individual in all the Elemental Nations lying in his kitchen, on his stomach snoring.

'_Hehehe. No one would ever believe me if I told them. Not even my sister.' _

She figured out pretty quick she couldn't lift him in order to get him to bed. Chakra enhanced muscles or not, he weighed a literal ton. It had to be something related to the Kyubi. She set about searching his house for a blanket and pillow. The house was fairly large, but it wasn't anywhere near the size of the mansion. There were only four bedrooms. She deduced the one with the biggest bed was his and found a pillow and blanket within. Grabbing both of them from his room, she returned to his prone form and placed the blanket over him. She then lifted his head and placed the pillow under it.

'_Hmm…He looks so peaceful. He's actually quite adorable like this. If only I had a camera.'_ Hanabi thought as she let out another quiet squeal. She was admiring the more innocent side to Naruto as he continued to be dead to the world.

She presumed that she would be waiting a bit for the blonde to return to the land of the living. Hanabi picked up a throw blanket on one of the chairs and brought it over to the couch with her. Settling in on his couch, she curled up and tried to get comfortable. The alcohol combined with the fatigue from earlier was making it hard to keep her eyes open. _'Might as well take a nap since I'll be waiting anyway.' _She decided with a yawn.

Naruto's scent was on the blanket and it strangely set Hanabi at ease. The warm, comforting feeling she experienced with him on the mission rushed back to her mind and she let the soothing sensation take her away. She was soon fast asleep in comfortable bliss.

* * *

Throbbing pain; that was the _pleasant_ feeling Naruto awoke to. Someone was using his head to test sledgehammers apparently. He rolled over to try and get his bearings. It was his blanket and pillow, so he was in his house but why did the ceiling seem unfamiliar? Looking around, he recognized his location as the kitchen floor.

'_Ok, so I passed out here. Why do I have my pillow and blanket though? Did I sleep walk and grab them? You usually don't do that when you pass out.' _Naruto was contemplating how he ended up on the floor with comfortable accommodations.

The memories of his dream came back to him. He was sharing a drink with Hanabi right before everything went black. _'What a weird dream. Why would she ever come to see me and of all things, share a drink with me? My mind was working overtime there.'_ He thought as he tried to put bits and pieces of his currently fragmented mind back together.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he immediately regretted it as it only enhanced the pain of his major league hangover. He managed to bring himself to stand upright and look around, realizing it was still dark. Looking over at his clock, he saw that it was a little past two in the morning. He moved towards the switch to illuminate his humble abode and have a look around at the mess he surely caused.

Naruto was surprised to find that the place seemed relatively clean. Nothing was really out of order except the glass on the counter and the bottle of whiskey on the ground. _'Bottle of whiskey? Did I really drink it? I thought that was a dream.' _He said in his head incredulously.

Feeling a bit apprehensive, Naruto made his way to the living room. _'What if it wasn't a dream?'_ Naruto asked himself nervously.

There, lying on the couch was the answer to his question. There was an attractive, young girl happily dozing away and that confirmed that it was indeed NOT a dream. Realizing exactly what that meant, Naruto nearly had a mental breakdown. _'Aww Man! I made a complete ass of myself then. Fuck!'_ He cursed to himself.

After he recalled all the moronic things he said and did, he moved on to the next obvious question. _'Why is she still here?'_ He couldn't really understand why she was sleeping on his couch. _'Wouldn't she just leave after the idiotic display I put on?'_ He questioned as a wave of shame came over him.

He gazed down at her and his thoughts began to fade away. The girl was too cute for words. He thought the way she was curled up in his blanket and gently snoring was adorable. Her hair fell over her one eye giving her an alluring expression. Naruto couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. Without thinking, his hand moved the stray hair out of the way and placed it behind her ear.

"_Beautiful."_

The sleeping beauty began to stir. Naruto quickly took a step back so as not to appear like a creepy stalker and sat down in his chair across the room. He fumbled around trying to arrange himself in a presentable manner but realized he was still wearing just his pants.

She opened her eyes and was looking around as if remembering where she was. Her eyes locked with his and she gave him a small smile. "Awake I see." She said quietly to the blonde.

"Yeah. I suppose…I owe you an apology for my behavior, Hanabi-san. I wasn't exactly in my right mind." The blonde muttered while averting his gaze to the floor.

"Ha! That's quite an understatement Naruto-san." She giggled at his sorry looking appearance. "I must admit, when I came here I was not expecting a show."

Naruto frowned at the jab from the Hyuga, but not in a menacing way. It was rare for him to show this much emotion around someone he barely knew. Yet he felt somewhat comfortable around her. After his past treatment of her, he felt that he deserved the shot.

"Usually I take them on a few dates before I give them a free show but I aim to please of course." Naruto responded with just a hint of sarcasm.

Hanabi blushed while she giggled again at his expense. _'Man, is she cute like that.'_ Naruto thought. He couldn't help but smile at the situation before him.

"So I guess it was you that set me up with the pillow and blanket?"

Hanabi's blush deepened as she recalled her actions from earlier. "Yes. You seemed… uncomfortable lying face first on the floor." She smiled prettily at him, glad that he was much looser than usual.

He chuckled at the image of him passed out on the floor lying square on his nose. "I guess I should thank you then. So… uh thanks, Hanabi-san." He said while returning her amiable smile.

She nodded at him. "Nothing to worry about Naruto-san. I would like to think you would have done the same for me but I don't think our roles would ever be reversed in this case." Hanabi replied with a full on laugh.

Naruto couldn't help but laugh as well. "No, I guess they wouldn't."

"You look nice like that." Hanabi said softy.

Naruto was caught off guard for a moment as his eyes widened slightly. "Like what?" He asked.

"You know, smiling, acting happy. It's a nice…change of pace." She replied while her head tilted to the side grinning at him.

Naruto grinned, but decided to turn the tables a bit. "Oh, I thought you meant me sitting half naked across from you looking all manly and seductive. You sure you don't have those confused?"

The shade of red her checks turned was priceless. "O-of c-course not you baka!" She bellowed in complete embarrassment.

"Are you sure? You're starting to sound like Hinata. Better be careful. You might be developing a crush on me." Naruto's grin grew further when he saw her face impossibly turn even redder.

He decided not to torment her any further. "So Hanabi, to what do I owe the honor of your company this evening?"

The girl was still a little dazed. "Wh-what?"

"What brings you here? I assume it wasn't to share a drink and then crash on my couch." Naruto guided her.

"Oh! Right. I was hoping… to ask for you to train me." She stated meekly.

Naruto wasn't expecting that at all. He wasn't much of a sensei. Of course he never really tried to be one, but he never had the patience to teach someone how to do something when he was basically self taught. Jiraiya gave him an idea and then left him to figure it out for a few weeks. He'd come back, check his progress and either give him something new or kick his ass a bit, usually both. Still, the concept intrigued him.

"I see. So what brought this about?"

The girl sat up straight and seemed to collect her thoughts. "I was thinking about my skills during the last mission. I don't think that I am adequately prepared for higher ranked missions in the future. The woman I killed, she was tired from fighting you. This allowed me to take her out, but it could have just as easily been myself lying dead on the ground instead of her." Hanabi said as she lowered her head.

Naruto nodded. "That is true of any battle though, Hanabi. When ninja fight, it usually isn't a flashy jutsu or an overpowering bloodline that leads to victory. It's the one mistake I've seen many fighters make during battle, myself included. Even Neji learned that the hard way back when we were kids and it nearly cost him his life. In this case, she made a mistake of charging a Hyuga while fatigued. You capitalized on that mistake and that is why you lived and she died."

The kunoichi contemplated those words carefully then spoke again. "I understand your point, but I want to get stronger. I don't think I'm prepared for the battles I face ahead."

"Ok then. Why me?" Naruto questioned.

"Truthfully, I don't know many jounin ninja in the village. My sister and cousin are constantly caught up in their own lives to spare much time to help me. Ebisu-sensei has a new team and my father is… well he doesn't take to teaching very well." Hanabi summarized for him.

"I'll bet. That still doesn't answer my question though." The blonde ninja reiterated.

"Honestly, you are probably the strongest ninja I know. I figured maybe you could help me refine my techniques if you had the time." Hanabi stared down at the floor while making these comments.

"Fair enough. What is your goal?" Naruto wanted to make sure she was doing this for the right reasons.

"I want to become independent. My whole life I have been manipulated to be the good little Hyuga girl. I've been trained to do what the clan tells me to do. I really only live to please the clan and I'm sick of it. Reliance on the clan has made me weak. I don't want any future teammates suffering from my incompetence. I need to get stronger to escape their control. To become my own person." The young Hyuga said as she looked up and gazed into his eyes without doubt or fear.

Hanabi had a determined look on her face. It wasn't one with a thirst for power. It was a look Naruto knew well. She wanted to prove herself to those around her. Her eyes spoke of the pain she has suffered in her life. This supposedly spoiled little rich girl had been neglected and forgotten by her loved ones. He could definitely sympathize with her feelings since they almost matched his own.

"How do I know you won't bail on me if it gets too tough?" Naruto pretty much knew the answer but he wanted her to confirm it.

There was a fierce look of determination in her eyes. "There is no way I will quit. In order to become the person I want to be, I must see this through to the end or die trying. If you won't train me, then I will find a way to reach my goal myself."

"Hmm…" Naruto said quietly as he brought his hand to his chin pondering her words. He considered his options. As a jounin, he was allowed to take an apprentice that was any rank below him. If he filed for proper apprenticeship, he would be allotted the time to train her suitably. _'Hell, the old hag owes me some time, what with all the missions I've been pulling lately. Plus I could use a break to get my life in order.'_ He closed his eyes for a moment.

"Things were getting a little boring around here anyway. I could use a new challenge." He stood up and walked in front of her. "Alright, I'll take you as my apprentice." He decreed.

The look on her face was astounding as tears of joy slowly graced her delicate cheeks. Without warning, she embraced the blonde, thanking him profusely. Naruto found himself wrapping his arms around her once again, giving her a friendly pat on her back. It brought a smile to his face. "Well, don't thank me just yet. I don't intend to go easy on you. My training will be brutal to achieve the results you are looking for. You might very well hate me after the first couple of days." He warned her.

Hanabi backed away, but held that unwavering look upon her elegant façade. "I won't back down. I need to do this for myself." She said.

"Alright, I'll fill out the paper work in the morning. Meet me at the same training ground you found me the other day at 7am and we'll begin your new routine. Another thing, it's up to you if you want to let your clan know what you're doing. I know how they feel about outside training. So I'll leave that decision for you to make."

Hanabi nodded and bowed politely at her new teacher. "Thanks again, Naruto-sensei! Good night!" She said happily. She made her way out his house presumably to get some rest at her home before the morning training began.

Naruto waved to her fading form from his porch. _'Well that was definitely interesting. I haven't felt this excited for something in years. I guess one thing is a constant in my life. It's never dull."_

The pain in his head returned. _'Ugh, guess I better get some sleep if I want to be up for that training session, or anything else.' _He groaned.

With that, Naruto headed back into his home to grab some much needed sleep before starting what will certainly be an interesting, and hopefully happy new chapter in his life.

* * *

Gaikan Hyuga made his way to a remote portion of the Hyuga estate. An old shrine not often used by clan members anymore. It is visited on only the most important of religious holidays and thus empty for most of the year. He kneeled down in front of the shrine and pretended to offer his homage. He was awaiting a very important update on a personal mission he assigned.

A few moments later, a middle aged Hyuga woman arrived right on time. She was of the branch family and happened to be a personal servant in Hiashi's residence. She made her way carefully over to Gaikun and kneeled down close enough for him to hear her.

"Good evening, my lord."

"Good evening. A fine night for a stroll wouldn't you say?"

"I would my lord."

"How goes your work these days."

"All is well, my lord. My work is right on schedule. The results are more apparent each day."

"Good, good. Continue doing a fine job. You make the clan proud."

With that, she stood and bowed towards Gaikun, returning to where she came. A sinister smile came over his face.

"_You _have_ become more emotional lately, Hiashi. I guess the poison is taking hold. It won't be much longer before your reign is at an end."_

Gaikun's plan to remove Hiashi was finally commencing. He had never been this close to achieving his dreams before. Now he had to make sure that his ally would follow through on their end of the plan.

Making sure that there was no one in the area, Gaikun carefully walked to the back of the shrine. On a nondescript wall, there as a statue that concealed a secret passage. Through it was a staircase leading down to a chamber only known by him and a few select others.

Once he arrived, he adjusted the ring he had been given and focused on performing the jutsu as it was shown to him. He focused his chakra and projected his thoughts outward to the destination that he was instructed to. An image of a hooded man began to appear. It was blurry around the edges and transparent but the figure began to speak.

"Ah Gaikun-dono. So nice of you to call. How can I be of service?"

"I have begun the first phase of the plan. We should see results within a few months. Your weapons had better be ready by that time."

"Of course, of course. They will be ready in time. You have my personal guarantee."

Gaikun scoffed at this. The guarantee of a man who sells weapons through backdoor deals was not one he would trust. "You had better hope for your sake that they are. The Hyuga Clan is not so forgiving to those who break their word."

The shadowed figure chuckled at that. "Beautifully ironic choice of words, wouldn't you say? Or would that be hypocritical? I can never remember which is which."

Gaikun was not amused. "I would watch your tongue if I were you. The wrath of the Hyuga is not something to tempt."

"Now, now, there's no need to be impolite. Your order will be ready on schedule. Now if there is nothing else, I should get back to my work."

"Very well, I will have the remainder of your payment when they are delivered." Gaikun got up and prepared to leave.

"I'm looking forward to it." A sinister smile could be seen beneath the shadowy hood.

With that, the transmission ended and the shadow figure disappeared.


	5. Chapter 4

So this is an actual bonafide, real chapter. I've been working on this damn story for 5 years... and sadly it still isn't anywhere near done. So much writer's block. Of course I've graduated college, got married, bought a house, had twins and received three different promotions at work during that time. So a lot was going on to be fair.

I'm not promising anything for this story but I do have seven chapters completed. So I figured you all deserved to have something new to chew on for being that patient. ** Also, go back and re-read the prologue and chapters 1-3. I've changed almost everything.** So it will help to re-read it all to catch up.

One other thing to note is that I'm working on a Mass Effect Naruto Crossover right now called "Echoes in Eternity." That's going to take up most of my time. Please check it out when you get a chance or not if you're still mad about me making you wait on this one. I'll post chapters 5 and 6 for this one later on this week but that's all I have done at the moment. Don't expect anything new after that any time soon. Sorry if that annoys you. It just is what it is.

Anyway, after a long delay, here's Finding the Sun Again... ummm... again.

* * *

Chapter 4

"Again."

A sigh escaped her lips as she went through the sequence once more. She knew that she needed to work on her hand speed but his methods had been grueling. This was not the first time she had wondered if she had made a deal with the devil when she asked Naruto to train her.

Hanabi focused again on the hand sequence for the jutsu he was teaching her. It was long, totaling ten in all. She had been working on it for a day or two now.

"No. You're not quite getting the curve here. When you switch from Rat to Ox, you need to make sure the pinky is exactly set perpendicular to your hand or else it doesn't mold the chakra correctly. Now again from the top."

"Argh, this sequence is infuriating. Why do I even need to know it? Can't I just mold the chakra?" Hanabi whined to her sensei.

"Look, princess. This is the way it's done. Unless you are into experimenting on new ways to mold chakra, I suggest you stick to the tried and true method here. Since you're actually an amateur when it comes to ninjutsu, why don't you trust the guy who's a fucking one man army?"

He really could be an ass sometimes. If his methods weren't so effective, she probably would have told Naruto to go to hell already. She in fact has told him this several times over the course of the last few months. He simply smirks and increases the intensity of her training.

"You really need to work on your people skills."

"Less talky more worky. Those hand seals ain't gonna make themselves."

She focused harder on the intricate moves of the seals. She was finally able to move through the ten of them flawlessly all be it rather slow. A small smile graced her lovely visage. A swell of pride surged through her upon completing the complex sequence.

"Yay, I did it!"

"Ok let me see you do that another hundred or so times. I want you to get this down to under ten seconds to perform by the end of the day. When you have it mastered it should be like breathing. You don't want to take any more than two or three seconds to do them in a battle. After that, I'll have you actually mold the chakra to perform it."

'_And there goes that feeling of accomplishment.'_

Hanabi's prideful outburst was cut short. Still, getting to mold the chakra and perform the jutsu was actually the most exciting part for Hanabi. She had never learned many ninjutsu since her clan's style never required it. One of the first things Naruto had her do was discover her nature transformation. Perhaps with a bit of irony, she had a lightning affinity. Since then Naruto brought her all the scrolls he had obtained over the years in regards to lightning release techniques. She was growing more proficient with the basic ones. With each success though, she became more determined to learn.

Naruto seemed to enjoy her eagerness and used it as an excuse to push her harder. He kept the promise of a new jutsu as a reward for hard work. Hanabi had to admit that it was quite effective despite the torture she has had to endure. She has never been in better shape than she was right now.

She was fast. Not as fast as he was but most weren't. Still Hanabi could say that she was probably the fastest Hyuga alive including her sister and cousin. She was also quick. Her suddenness had helped her land a few hits in on her unsuspecting sensei. His response was always to unblock his tenketsu and come at her with more ferocity. This helped to increase her endurance though. Where she was once winded from an hour sprint through the trees, she now found she could go a whole day without slowing down. This helped to keep pace in her battles with her sensei. She started out being taken down in a move or two. With tremendous effort though, she managed to extend the sessions to five minutes, then fifteen until she was finally sparring at full speed for almost an hour. No small feat against her instructor.

"Sensei can't I just mold the chakra now? I want to see this thing."

Naruto held a stern look. "Make five clones and have them continue working on the sequence."

He wouldn't even let her learn the shadow clone jutsu until after the first month of training. Hanabi had to prove to him that she had built her reserves and endurance up enough to survive the loss. She was proud that she had grown the ability to not only perform the jutsu, but create up to five perfect clones that could last several hours. This helped immensely to learn any new techniques he gave her from that point on. He would always still have her learn the sequence by herself before passing it off to a clone though. He said it promoted familiarity in the brain. His damn methods and rules were frustrating sometimes though.

"You know the rule. Whining means you spar. Let's go."

She got up knowing it was pointless to argue. In addition to the allotted time for taijutsu practice, he would call her out for whining or just sneak attack her randomly for the hell of it. It certainly taught her to keep her guard up at all times.

She stood across from him and entered her Juken stance. Naruto gave a scoff.

"Going with that this time eh? Your funeral."

Naruto had begun teaching her different styles of taijutsu just to make her aware of all the styles she may face in battle. The Hyuga, for all their genius in studying and mastering Juken, did not have clan members study opposing styles. Their arrogance assumed that the Juken would be enough to overpower any form they would come up against. Naruto had her study the scrolls of various fighting styles to become familiar with the philosophies behind them. After that, he challenged her to find the key features of those styles that she felt best suited her. He wanted her to become more unpredictable when fighting an opponent. Relying solely on the 'Gentle Fist' could prove costly against those that have seen it.

"We'll see sensei." Hanabi replied with a smirk.

She came at him as a blur of kicks and punches. He blocked automatically and dodged when he recognized her attempts to close his tenketsu. Naruto countered when necessary and finally brought the fight to her. Hanabi suddenly switched to a more frenetic style performing jagged flips and sharp cuts to avoid his attacks. It appeared that she was moving erratically but there was a grace to her approach. Quick bursts combined with her ability to dance from toe to toe allowed her to dart around the battle field. It was as if she was emulating lightning itself when moving.

This dance went on for a few more minutes before Naruto finally put her down with a sudden sweep of the legs. She didn't go down easy though. Hanabi reached out with her arms to brace the fall and use the momentum to land a blow to his head. He of course countered by grabbing and holding her leg with his neck and shoulder and pinned her to the grass.

It was a great thing that she was so flexible because this compromising position might be painful. As it stood it was merely uncomfortable in a different kind of way. Naruto lay on top of her, one hand pinning her arm to the ground, the other bracing himself above her as his shoulder bent her leg well above her head. His face was only inches away from hers and she could see the shock in his eyes at their sudden situation.

Hanabi felt the heat beginning to rise from her body. These close encounters were nothing new during their trainings but the more she had them, the more her mind betrayed her with unbecoming thoughts. Her breath hitched for a moment as her body all but begged for him to finish what he started.

Sensing her distress, Naruto quickly removed himself. "Umm… better. I think we're good with taijutsu for today."

She wondered if he was just as flustered as her. Was that momentary lapse in his eyes a sign of something more or just a figment of her imagination?

"Uhh... yea, thanks, sensei."

He turned back towards her and was fully composed again. "I want you to keep working on those hand seals then. Once you get them down, I'll let you mold chakra for it and show you what _Shadow Lightning_ can do."

Hanabi couldn't help the excited squeal that escaped her lips. This was the first B-ranked jutsu that she was learning. She covered her mouth but Naruto merely smirked at her childishness. Shrugging her shoulders, she just went with it.

"I can't wait sensei."

Naruto turned towards the dimming skyline. "Well, how about we call it a day here. Allow the clones to run themselves out and we'll pick this up bright and early tomorrow. Make sure you rest this time. No excuses for being late. You know what that leads to."

Hanabi frowned at his tone. "I know sensei. I promise it won't happen again."

"It's almost like you enjoy getting punished from me. You're not into that kind of thing are you Hanabi-chan? Imagine the gossip." Naruto mocked with a faux look of shock on his face.

Hanabi turned red with embarrassment. "Sensei! Shut up!" She launched herself at him in an attempt to cause him personal harm.

"Still need to work on that mental conditioning it seems. It's way too easy to you get flustered. I'm going to have to up your required reading to include Icha Icha."

Naruto continued to enjoy taunting his student while she futilely tried to kill him. She finally screamed out in frustration and gave up.

"Honestly sensei, you're impossible sometimes."

"I try."

"I think maybe it would have been better to get Choji-san to have trained me."

"Nah Choji would never be able to explain it to Ino without her thinking he was cheating. Besides, I'm twice as cuddly as Choji."

Hanabi grumbled. For all his expertise and random mood swings, Naruto liked to tease her the most with his insufferable banter. She knew he did it because he found it funny. He never got too serious in it but it was still embarrassing. It was even more aggravating because the few times they did get into a compromising position, he would curl up like a shy little boy and change the subject. Half of her wanted him to just act on his boasting and make a move but the other half was terrified of what that might entail.

"You're about as cuddly as a cactus."

"Ouch. That stings."

"The truth hurts."

"So do cactuses… er cacti? Its cacti right? Yea let's go with that."

"Argh! Just please, shut up already."

"No can do, princess. That's part of my charm."

"I think you confuse charm and repugnance."

"Careful, big words make me testy and you know how I get then."

"Fine, fine. Just… I'll see you tomorrow sensei." Hanabi began to walk away before he could become even crazier than usual.

"Can't wait!" He called after her.

She finally left and headed for home. She was tired, sore and in desperate need of a shower. Too many conflicting emotions in a short period of time for her mind to handle.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he watched her fading form. He was relieved that she was finally gone. Training her was rewarding but the emotions she brought about just left him exhausted mentally.

'_At least the hard work is paying off.'_

She was growing stronger each day thanks to his training. Hanabi's progress was astounding over such a short time frame. Naruto really couldn't believe it. Even he didn't pick things up as quickly as she did when he was younger. Everything he threw at her, she soaked up like a sponge. Her determination never wavered even though she may gripe from time to time. At first he thought he broke her of the whining with constant sparring as a punishment. Now it seemed she provoked him into punishing her. He might have thought she was enjoying it if she didn't make her annoyance so apparent.

He started to add the verbal aspect of the training as something to keep him entertained. Her reactions were priceless. He knew now why Jiraiya would bait him into losing his cool. It was useful in a fight but sometimes it was just damn funny. Over time though, he could see how annoyed she got with him. She seemed more upset at his antics because of the distraction they caused though rather than just messing with her. Either way, that extra aspect of the training was yielding results as well. She lost her cool less with him and even started offering some banter back.

Of course there were those awkward moments that were bound to happen when working together so closely. He started out with a promise to himself to keep it professional. For the most part he did. It wasn't until he got to working with her hands-on for a couple weeks that he could appreciate the fine young woman that she was. He was no saint but she certainly had a heavenly body. A couple of extra peeks at her ass when she wasn't looking didn't hurt either. Of course eyes that can see almost 360 degrees were always a slight deterrent. So far he'd either been lucky or she had let him slide.

'_Either way, totally worth it.'_

Anyway, who knew he'd be so effective at training someone? What did he know about training? He figured he'd try some of Jiraiya's methods, some of Iruka's and a little bit of his own mixed in to some mad concoction he called a plan. Mostly he was just making it up as he went which was pretty par for the course.

'_Ero-sennin, Iruka-sensei, sure wish you guys were here now.'_

Thinking of his teachers always brought up bittersweet memories. He grabbed his stuff and decided to make a stop at the memorial stone to visit them. When he arrived he gave a respectful bow and sign of homage. Staring down at the stone to find the names of two of his most precious people, he reminisced on the good times they shared.

Jiraiya had truly been the father he never had or maybe just a fun-loving, perverted uncle. Sure he had the brief encounter with Minato in the seal but he wasn't ever capable of being a father in the day to day sense. Naruto appreciated the sacrifice his father made but it was Jiraiya who helped him become a man. Thinking back on the crazy old hermit he could almost hear the inane ramblings about his awesomeness and uncanny popularity with the ladies. He knew that his sensei harbored similar feelings for his genin teammate as Naruto once had for his own. He could hear the sagely advice at the time to just forget about that pipe dream and learn from Jiraiya's mistakes. Nothing good could come from loving your teammate. His foolish younger self of course disregarded those words of wisdom and now here he was; a half broken man going through the motions of life just trying to find a reason to go on from day to day.

Luckily, his time as a sensei has helped heal a lot of the pain and bitterness he's felt over the last few years. He didn't know if it was the gratifying nature of it or if it was just the student that he had, but he was grateful for the distraction.

'_I'm sure you'd approve of my choice of apprentice, you old lecher.'_

After his quick laugh, Naruto glanced over to the name of his childhood sensei and mentor. Iruka Umino had the biggest heart of anyone he could remember. Naruto remembered all those times that he took a poor orphan boy to get ramen. They were some of the happiest moments of his life. He must've driven Iruka nuts with his pranking and annoying attitude.

'_God, I must've been such a handful back then sensei. You had some incredible patience.'_

He can't help but think that if it wasn't for Iruka, more than anyone else in his life, he wouldn't be half the man he was today. It was only through his kind words of wisdom that he was able to struggle on and keep looking forward. When life became too overwhelming, he would think back to some of Iruka's lectures and life lessons. He then had the will to go on.

'_Sensei, I wish you were here. You always knew what to say.'_

It was only a couple of months after everything with Sakura happened; Iruka's death hit Naruto harder than Jiraiya's. It was such a stupid way to die. His first mission outside of the village in nearly fifteen years, a simple B rank escort mission, and he's killed by a heart attack of all things. Tsunade had told him that his arteries had been slowly building up over many years of poor eating habits. It did little to sooth Naruto's mind. If anything, he had a period where he thought that he inadvertently caused Iruka's death by dragging him for ramen so many times. Tsunade had relieved him of those fears by saying it was genetic and that his family line had a history of it. It's just that as ninja, you usually died before you could have a heart attack.

Naruto poured himself into training and missions to take his mind off of everything. Sakura, Iruka, Jiraiya, Kyubi, life in general. It helped distract him for awhile but it was only temporary. Nothing had been able to help heal his mind. It wasn't until he began training Hanabi that he truly started to feel… better. Getting up in the morning wasn't as painful. He had a purpose, a meaningful purpose. He finally began the healing process.

'_I guess I had to eventually.'_

Naruto glanced to his left as he noticed a new arrival. A frown formed on his face as he recognized it as another former sensei.

"Kakashi."

"Naruto."

An awkward silence was accepted between them. Naruto was perfectly content to pay his respects and get on with his day. As he turned to leave though, Kakashi chimed in.

"You look different. New hairstyle?"

Sighing in an attempt to control himself, Naruto turned to address him. "You sure you want to joke around with me? Don't act like we're on good terms anymore."

Kakashi didn't seem to show any signs of distress. "Now, now, no need for hostilities. Just trying to see how my former student is doing."

Naruto scoffed. "I like how you make an effort now. Probably would have helped back when we were still a team or hell even any time over the last few years would have been nice."

Kakashi shrugged. "Better late than never."

"They should put that on your tombstone."

"I would prefer _greatest man that ever lived_. Has a nice ring to it."

"Pfft, hardly. You act like you give a damn and put up that cool façade but you know what happened. What witty remark or ancient proverb do you have for getting over that?"

"Did you try drinking?"

Naruto could feel the headache coming on as he rubbed his temple. "Yea."

"Women?"

"Yep."

"Well I'm fresh out of ideas."

Naruto sighed. He knew what Kakashi was trying to do. "They ever work for you?"

Kakashi put his hand to his chin in an exaggerated thinking motion. "Hmmm, nope."

"Then what? How do you get through the day with all that's happened in your life? I'm genuinely interested to know here."

"I shroud myself in a cloak of invincibility, block out all surrounding conversation and bury myself in Icha Icha."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yea, that's normal."

Kakashi again shrugged. "Normal's overrated anyway. Why spend my life worrying about troubles when I can just… enjoy the precious few moments I have left."

Naruto turned to glance over at him. He could have sworn for a brief second, Kakashi's tone was remorseful. He can't tell by looking at him though.

"Whatever." Naruto turned to leave. Just as he was about out of the training ground though, Kakashi called out to him.

"Naruto, one more thing."

Naruto turned back to look at him. "Yes?"

"When the wind of change blows, some build walls, while others build windmills."

Naruto couldn't help but give a sarcastic reply. "Thank you that's _very_ helpful." He turned to leave again. "I'll see you around… sensei."

Kakashi always had a cryptic way of offering advice. He got the message anyway. Still, doesn't make up for not speaking to him for over two years though. He didn't hate the man but he was maddening. As petty as it was, it was easy for Naruto to blame Kakashi for the team 7 dynamic all those years ago. It made for a decent scapegoat from time to time but he knew it was just that. Another excuse, another dodge of the real problem. He needed to get over this himself.

* * *

Many in the village hold an ideal image of their beautiful leader. They look upon her young and energetic form even as she enters her sixties and can't help but feel comforted that she is in charge. She's a world renown medic and as smart as she is deadly. The people of Konoha feel safe knowing that Tsunade is watching over them as Hokage.

'_What the hell am I still doing in this office, in this chair, with all this god damned paperwork?!'_

Of course public image and reality are often skewed.

Not for the first time today, Tsunade slams her head down on the desk in exasperation. She may not look it but she was tired. She was going on her 11th year as Hokage, a position she never wanted. She figured she would have been out of that chair at the earliest three years ago but most certainly by now.

'_Damn brat and his emotional breakdown.'_

Tsunade sighed. She knew Naruto was right at the time. She couldn't hand the reins of the village over to him when he had almost used the Kyubi's power for something as trivial as a broken heart.

'_Ha, trivial, you're such a hypocrite, you old bitch.'_

She berated herself. She knew full well that if she had ever seen Dan in that position with another woman, both of them would be dead. There wouldn't be any rational thought that occurred. As it stood she merely lost him to war. If given the choice, she preferred the latter. Not that there was any sense of satisfaction in that thought.

Her apprentice certainly did a number on Naruto. Sakura may never realize how close she came to having her life ended by Tsunade herself. The moment Tsunade found out what happened, she sought out the pink haired med-nin fully intent on causing her an immense amount of pain for harming her little brother; _her_ Naruto. Luckily, Tsunade didn't find her and had coherent thought return to her synapses. She was very disappointed in Sakura's actions but ultimately, it was her personal business. Tsunade continued to train Sakura because she was too talented to let wither away. It was for the good of the village.

'_Always for the good of the village. My heart always comes a distant second to the good of this fucking village.'_

Wallowing in painful memories, staring down mountains of paperwork, trying to keep the ninja world at _peace_; Tsunade needed a break. She reached for her secret stash of sake in the bottom drawer. Only a third of the jar left. She'd have to replenish it on her next outing. She was going through more and more these days.

Reports of skirmishes along the border were growing in frequency. That mission she sent Naruto on a couple months ago apparently wasn't isolated. More groups of supposed Cloud ninja have been seen within Fire country borders. All attempts at communication with 'A' have been unproductive in finding out what the hell was going on.

What's worse is that she was starting to see casualties come in from her patrols. This wasn't a little misunderstanding anymore. Something was going on and she needed to prep the village for another possible war.

It just never ends. The whole reason she left Konoha in the first place was losing her beloved to war. Since she became Hokage, it feels like she's done nothing but fight. She's watched even more friends and comrades die under her supposed protection. More people that relied on her to steer them in the right direction were sent to their deaths. Decisions she made or failed to make caused more families the same grief she has carried for decades. The one she regrets the most though was not stopping Jiraiya when he went on that fateful mission.

'_You damned perverted bastard. How could you leave me so alone? You promised me you'd come back._'

Tears threaten to escape her beautiful, honey colored eyes. Tsunade raises the saucer of sake to her lips and allows the burning sensation on her throat to ease some of the guilt she bears. These last few years of peace were never restful for her. The renewed tension with Iwa alone was enough to keep her busy. Tsunade just knew that it was only a temporary truce. Still she took what she could get in her crazy reality. A couple years of peace were better than no years of peace. But it seems that it is coming to an end once again.

Her intelligence division had yet to decipher the few documents they were able to recover from these enemies. All signs point to Cloud but that just seems too convenient. There was something that they were missing here.

'_Bah, I hope the downtime hasn't left us all vulnerable due to complacency._'

She knew that the village needed her. Once again she was going over contingency plans for evacuation, defense and counter attacks. It seems she wouldn't be able to rest until she's dead.

'_I just hope I get to live long enough to see you take this hat from me, otouto. I deserve the right to heckle your ass when you're sitting here.'_

A small smile broke across her angelic face. She truly missed her Naruto. The way he used to be. Back when he was the light of the village. It was a cold and lonely place for her without the warmth he brought. She never realized how much she depended upon it. It was like an addiction.

Naruto's positive attitude was infectious. He could bring a cold hearted killer to feel true remorse over a fallen tool. A despondent shrine maiden can be allowed to feel love in her heart. A megalomaniac becomes repentant of his atrocities and seeks penance. Naruto had a gift but he didn't have the means to use it anymore. It was broken. It needed to desperately be mended.

'_If only I was 40 years younger…'_

Tsunade would do anything to see his radiance again. She would have sacrificed her being to restore it but at her age, she knew there was no way Naruto would believe her love for him to be genuine. Another burden she would silently bear.

'_Please, Naruto. We need you, I need you. Come back to us soon.'_

The fate of the world may just depend upon it.

* * *

After getting cleaned up from her daily work out with Naruto, Hanabi decided to go for a stroll through town to get away from the estate. Her father had been growing increasingly hostile and would often have outbursts at the simplest of things. So far, her early morning training sessions have not been much worse than normal. Naruto's conditioning made them a lot more manageable. She did notice that his patience was a lot thinner though. He had cut a few of the _lessons_ short due to complete disgust with her. Hanabi didn't mind in the slightest. Any excuse to get away from him sooner was welcome.

Still, her father's uncharacteristic behavior was a concern to her. It brought back the odd dread from a few months ago. When her father had told her about the Hyuga Council's marriage proposal, she ultimately feared the worst. Hanabi had assumed that someone was out for Hiashi's life. When weeks had passed and nothing happened, she guessed that it was just a high dose of paranoia. Hiashi's actions though were noticeably different.

It started off as a simple raising of his voice. Then full shouts could be heard at servants. Grunts of frustration came from his study while he was presumably alone. Even his facial mannerisms were different. He would normally seem unfazed by anything but his emotions were clearly painted across his face lately. She was certain that something was not right with him. Either way, Hanabi just didn't want to be around him lest she be the target of one of Hiashi's outbursts.

'_At least I'm finally making progress as a kunoichi.' _

Hanabi was proud of how far she has come in the short time she's trained under Naruto. She honestly didn't know how it would turn out when he had accepted her request. At first she figured he wouldn't be that good a teacher since he was only five years older than her. Her choice was out of lack of options for the most part after all. Nothing could have prepared her for it though.

It has been brutal. He beat her into the ground that first week. Hanabi had thought that her father's training might have been easier. The key difference though was that while her father would use Hanabi as an outlet for his own frustration, Naruto would use each setback as a teaching point. Beating her to a pulp the first day showed her where she truly stood on the totem pole.

He never made it personal though. She didn't feel humiliated or degraded by him. In fact he was unexpectedly patient and considering when it came to her. He would act like he didn't care but his actions spoke differently. He never took it so far that she would be seriously injured. He always made the point he was trying to convey clear when it needed to be but he wouldn't spoon-feed her either. He treated her as an intelligent student capable of figuring things out. His cryptic lessons often yielded the best results since it required extended thought on her part to decipher. His people skills were crude sometimes and Naruto's form of _mental conditioning_ did wear on her but she knew why he did it.

'_I can't get upset by depraved things that an enemy ninja may say or do.'_

Naruto had made it clear the first time he mentioned her more feminine traits in flattering detail during a spar. She became so flustered that she couldn't even remain in a proper stance. He quickly took her down and put her into a submissive position. Having made his point, he explained why it was important to become used to such unsavory commentary.

'_I still think he likes getting away with objectifying me right in front of my face.' _

Hanabi giggled. She was not as upset at that thought as she used to be. Pondering what Naruto's thoughts might contain with her brought about pleasant scenarios in her mind. A forbidden teacher-student encounter that could only be pulled from the steamy romance novels she read in her spare time.

Hanabi's face heated up as she became lost in her fantasy. She didn't notice someone calling her name.

"Hello? Earth to Hanabi." A rather energetic platinum blonde was waving her hands in front of Hanabi's eyes.

Embarrassed, Hanabi quickly recovered from her reverie and focused on the woman in front of her.

"Ino-san? I haven't seen you in awhile."

"Yea. Not since your sister's wedding… and bachelorette party." Ino added with a wink.

Hanabi's blush returned full force. She just couldn't help embarrassing memories from triggering her blush.

"I still never got you back for that."

"Meh, you needed to loosen up. Male strippers are there for a reason."

"That doesn't mean you throw me into the middle of the three of them and have their… units… waggle around me disgustingly." Hanabi was remembering that particularly mortifying experience as she was only sixteen at the time.

"That's the best part though!" Ino had a glazed look over her eyes.

"…so much like him." Hanabi mumbled grumpily.

Ino returned to normal. "Like who?"

"Oh! Umm…" Hanabi looked around nervously debating whether she should reveal that Naruto was training her.

"You might as well spit it out. I am a member of the interrogation unit for a reason. Plus I have so many ties into the gossip mill that I'll find out eventually."

Hanabi sighed and figured what was the harm. "I was just noticing that you were so much like Naruto-sen… san."

Ino gave a sassy grin. "Uh uh. Don't you mean sensei?" Ino squealed. "Oh, how delightfully juicy, Choji had mentioned it before but I never had time to look into it."

Hanabi felt nervous in front of someone that knew Naruto from his own age group but it was a good opportunity to get more insight on him. She noticed that they were just standing in the middle of the market awkwardly.

"Maybe we can get a late lunch and I'll give you more details, Ino-san."

"Sounds like fun. Let's head over to this dango shop I know. Should be a comfortable place to chat."

Ino led the way to the shop and Hanabi hesitantly followed. She knew she'd have to give up some info on her training sessions with Naruto to sate Ino's appetite for gossip but she wanted to know more about his history. If anyone knew something it would be Ino Yamanaka. Everyone knew she was the gossip queen of Konoha.

They took seats in a booth and ordered a round of dango and some sake. Ino made herself comfortable.

"So how is my favorite blonde knucklehead these days?"

Hanabi was intrigued. "Oh you know Naruto personally?"

Ino had a soft smile at that thought. "You could say that. We had a thing for about a month a couple years ago."

Hanabi was now very interested. "I didn't realize."

"Yea. It was a fun time for me. I'm sure he enjoyed it too but I could tell he just wasn't all there at the time."

"Why was that?"

Ino sighed seeming to debate how much she should say. "He was still reeling from a nasty breakup with his girlfriend. He wasn't in the best state of mind."

"I'm sorry if it's too personal. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

Ino chuckled. "They were hardly bad. That was some of the best sex of my life." She added playfully "But don't tell Choji-kun though. He'd feel he's still inferior." Ino sighed and then shook her head. "But enough dodging, missy. How's he doing?" Ino had a slight look of concern for her friend and one time lover.

"Well he's certainly amazing as far as being a shinobi goes. I've never seen someone so dedicated to being the best. He said he's never trained anyone before but I feel better than I ever have as a kunoichi after just a little over two months with him. He just pours his all into anything he does. Naruto-sensei just makes you want to try your hardest since anything less will be a promise of pain."

Ino wore a nostalgic smile. "That sounds like my Naruto."

"Of course he's grueling though. He can be a merciless taskmaster and a first rate jerk. He doesn't care about anyone but himself sometimes. From what Hinata said he wasn't always like this."

"Unfortunately that breakup changed his personality. Getting him to open up at all was like pulling teeth. I tried really hard when we were together. He just didn't give in though, the stubborn bastard." Ino light-heartedly reminisced.

"You sound very fond of him. Why did you two not stay together?"

"Well like you said, he can be a jerk a lot of the time. Back then we were just as likely to break out into a fight as we were to fuck. I really wanted to help cure him and he didn't want to be cured. He just wasn't ready. It was too close to that incident for him to be able to get over it."

Ino was truly remorseful. "I was good friends with both him and his girlfriend. She was my old roommate even. Seeing him in pain just killed me and I couldn't continue to be with him when he refused my help. It was killing me inside. He of course realized and broke up with me the selfless bastard." Ino sighed. "I love the idiot. I hope he gets over it one day. I miss the old Naruto so much."

Hanabi was touched by how much Ino seemed to care about him. From what it sounded like, Naruto was a kind caring soul before this breakup that occurred. She had seen glimpses herself during her training but nothing sustained. The most common impression she got was an egotistical, aloof dictator.

"Who was the girl? What was her name?"

Ino contemplated telling her. "Before I give too much more away, tell me more about Naruto. If you've been training with him, then you've had the most female interaction he's seen in over a year."

"There's not much more to tell really. He's a callous jerk one minute and a snarky perverted bastard the next. If I have to hear how well my ass is shaped during our spars one more time, I'm going to permanently seal the tenketsu for his anatomy." Hanabi remarked heatedly.

Ino openly laughed. "Ha! That sounds so like him. I wouldn't damage the goods before you can use them though, honey."

Hanabi sputtered at Ino's remark. "As if I would do anything so unbecoming."

Ino just shrugged "Don't knock it till you've tried it. Trust me." She winked.

Hanabi desperately wanted to get back on topic. "Anyway, he has bouts of insanity where he will explain the intricacies of a jutsu to the finest detail while other times he'll give me a general direction on what to do and tell me to _wing it_. He's so maddeningly inconsistent. If I wasn't achieving obvious results, I would have left a while ago."

"We always thought he had some kind of attention disorder when we were kids. You could never keep him still. But don't confuse his inconsistency for not knowing what he's doing. He always has a plan in his head how it works. Even if it's completely ridiculous or unorthodox, he knows what he's doing."

"Yes it seems that way. Despite his rough personality, I'd say it's been worthwhile. I don't think anyone else would have trained me this seriously or this hard."

"You sound pretty fond of him yourself. You're not hot for teacher are you Hanabi-chan?" Ino teased.

"Ugh, what is it with you blondes? Back to the topic though, what was his ex-girlfriend's name?"

Ino's laughter died down. With a sigh she offered Hanabi what she wanted. "Sakura Haruno. She was his genin teammate."

"Sakura-san? I would have never thought that she would do something like that."

"It's ok. I know you've been pretty sequestered most of your life by your clan. By the way, I'm sorry about all of that. My clan is not nearly as fanatical as yours."

Hanabi felt a knee jerk reaction to defend the Hyuga clan but remembered that they were one of her main obstacles right now in life. "Yes well, at least I realized in time what their true nature is. That's mostly the reason why I'm training so hard now."

"Well good for you. We need more kick ass kunoichi in this village."

"So… with Sakura-san, what did she do to make him so harsh?"

Ino bit her lip in contemplation. "Listen, don't let Naruto know I told you this. I'm only telling you because you're the only one he interacts with on a regular basis anymore and maybe you can help heal him."

Hanabi was confused by the helping to heal him part but she desperately wanted to know more so she agreed. "I understand."

"Ok, so Sakura and I were best friends. We shared an apartment together and discussed everything. We used to be rivals when we were teenagers fighting over a boy named Sasuke Uchiha."

Hanabi was not that fond of Sasuke simply because of the old rivalry the two clans had. She didn't know of him personally though.

"I eventually grew out of it when he left the village to become a traitor. She clung to it far longer. He was Naruto and Sakura's genin teammate so I guess it was only natural she would have a stronger connection than me. After he left though, Naruto and Sakura grew very close. They were true teammates and backed each other up on everything. It was only natural that they started dating after the war was over. We all just assumed that they would get married, have crazy pink and blonde haired kids and live happily ever after."

Hanabi was becoming engrossed in the tale. "They sounded so perfect together. So what happened then?"

Ino scowled. "That bastard showed back up here. He apparently grew tired of wandering and must've figured Konoha would welcome him back with open arms. I guess he didn't realize how much we hate traitors. If it wasn't for Naruto and Sakura's pleading, he'd probably have been executed right away. They convinced the council that his quest for vengeance was over. I guess the lure of having the Sharingan again was too much to resist for them."

Hanabi understood the sentiment. Konoha was a fairly lenient hidden village when compared to the others but traitors were usually executed without question. The scarcity of Sasuke's bloodline was the only thing that saved him.

"So Naruto and Sakura began to see him again and try to strike up their old team comradery. I could tell she was conflicted. She didn't see Naruto as much anymore and snuck off to see Sasuke a lot during his house arrest." Ino scoffed. "I wish I would have seen it sooner to warn Naruto of what was happening. I'm sure that's why he is so damaged now."

"What happened? What broke him?" Hanabi had a guess but wanted Ino to continue.

"Naruto told me some of the details. The gist is that he went to visit Sasuke and found Sakura having sex with him. She tried to stop Naruto from going but that only made things worse. That's why she has that scar on her cheek. He told me how sorry he was for doing that. It pains him to harm any of his friends out of anger even if they deserved it. I'm just amazed he kept under that much control. I probably would have killed them both."

Waves of emotion washed over Hanabi as she continued to listen. The thought of going through such a thing gave her a lot more respect for her sensei. She knew she would not have handled it nearly as well as he did.

"Now listen, Hanabi. I haven't told anyone about those events. Not even Choji knows the full details. Naruto told me while we were together after much persuasion on my part. I only did this because I think you're the one that can fix him."

Hanabi was genuinely shocked at that. "But Ino-san, I'm just his student. How could I possibly help him in that way?"

"I've seen the look in your eyes during our little chat here. You care for him, I can tell and if I know that idiot, he cares for you too. He just can't let himself show it. He's afraid, terrified really. When we were together, he started off with the intentions of being just another one night stand. He allowed himself to grow attached to me though. I know I loved him. When he realized it though, the fear in his eyes was too much. I couldn't take that I was hurting him by loving him. It was just too soon for Naruto to get over the whole thing. I think you have a real shot at it though if you're honest with yourself."

"I won't make any promises Ino-san but I have been keeping an open mind about things lately. So I won't forget your words and I won't tell anyone what you said here today."

Ino wore a genuine smile for the first time during their conversation. "That's all I can ask. Well, it's been fun Hanabi-chan but I do have to get back to my stud muffin. I missed my mid morning quickie and need to relieve some tension."

Hanabi simply chuckled having grown used to her commentary at this point. "Say hi to Choji-san for me then, Ino-san."

Ino looked back over her shoulder in a seductive pose. "Before or during?"

Or perhaps not. "Just go you ditsy blonde!"

Ino laughed as she skipped away. Hanabi decided it was a good thing Ino and Naruto didn't stay together. The world would have never survived their kids.

* * *

"Everything will be taken care of Gaikun-dono. You have to learn to relax a little. Patience is a virtue as they say."

A distorted shadowy image was speaking to Gaikun once again in the secret chamber on the Hyuga estate.

"Yes but wrath is a fire that cannot be quenched. You test my patience and tempt my wrath. You assured me the poison would be effective. You guaranteed me that the weapons would be ready. You promised me that Hiashi would be dead by now!"

Gaikun's patience was at its limit. He was so close to achieving ultimate victory but he was forced to rely upon such simpletons to do his work.

"Now, now, the poison is working. From what you've told me of his condition, he only has a few more weeks before the final phase takes hold. As for my weapons, I simply wish to make sure they are fully capable. I certainly would not want to face your _wrath _should they prove defective." The shadow man soothed his worries with a silver tongue.

Gaikun merely closed his eyes to ease away the tension that was mounting. It would not do him any good to have an outburst against his chief supplier of what he needed.

"Just make sure the delivery is made on time. You will not receive the other half of the payment until it is done."

The shadow figure had requested along with a sizable amount of money, several Hyuga clansmen to be used in studies for research on potential weaponry. Gaikun had only agreed to allow branch house members being used since the caged bird seal would prevent the byakugan from being stolen. The shadow man seemed satisfied with that arrangement.

"But of course Gaikun-dono. I wouldn't dream of insulting you or your prestigious clan by demanding full payment from services not rendered. They will be delivered on time for your… special event."

Gaikun narrowed his eyes at the figure. "What event would you happen to be speaking of?"

"Far be it from me to tell anyone what my clients do. Not a good way to do business. But a man in my position does have connections and I try to stay abreast of useful information." A smirk could be seen beneath the shadowy hood. "As long as your interests don't conflict with mine, I don't see any reason for concern."

Gaikun was growing weary of this business agreement. He could not wait for it to be done and then he would be in charge of the clan and Konoha. The first thing he would do is send the might of Konoha's military strength to seek out and destroy this Shadow man for his insolence. Besides, having someone out there with those kinds of secrets was not good to leave unaccounted for.

"Very well, we will be in position awaiting your delivery. For your sake they had better work."

A light hearted chuckle resonated through the chamber. "My weapons always work. It's just a matter of how much damage they cause that still needs to be hammered out. I will have some solid results in the upcoming days. When we speak again, you will have a definite time frame on when you may proceed."

"Then I take my leave. I will contact you in one week. Have my order ready by then."

Gaikun ended the transmission and left the chamber. He pondered his plans on the walk back to the main house.

Hiashi was growing increasingly emotional and irrational each day. From what the shadow man said, the poison was in its third of four phases right now. The final one should be coming soon. Any day now, Hiashi will become rather ill and slip into a coma. Once that happens it's only a matter of time before the end. He will be able to assume temporary control in the confusion and usurp authority from Hiashi's naïve daughters. Before anyone can figure it all out, Fuzen and Hanabi would be wed and he would have his puppet to lead the clan.

There was the small matter he was relying on to be taken care of with Hinata but his mysterious liaison assured him that his people would handle it discreetly. Unfortunately he had to put a lot of stock into this person's ability to execute his portion accordingly otherwise all of Gaikun's careful positioning and politicking over decades will be for nothing. That was the price of achieving ones dream though. He will just have to tie up the loose ends later on.

Gaikun had been discreetly using his personal force of clansmen to begin the prep work for the coup. Being able to avoid the watchful eye of the ANBU, his Hyuga loyalists and various branch members he blackmailed were taking care of the soft targets in the village that needed to be eliminated. If the weapons are as good as the shadow man says they are, then the diversion Gaikun has planned will not link back to the Hyuga at all.

'_Yes, despite the setbacks, everything is going according to plan.'_

Soon, Gaikun would take his place as Rokudaime of Konoha.


	6. Chapter 5

Once again a reminder that the whole story has been altered pretty significantly. Chapter 4 is the first new chapter since like 2008. This is chapter 5 (also new content) and I'll post chapter 6 on like Tuesday or Wednesday. That's all I have for now. Don't expect regular updates for this story since I'll be working on Echoes in Eternity (Naruto/Mass Effect Crossover) until my obsession with Mass Effect leaves me (going on 6 years now so don't count on it).

**So please, if you haven't read the story in awhile, start from the beginning because a lot has changed. **

* * *

Chapter 5

A week had passed. Hanabi was left to train, mostly on her own, for the last couple days of it. Naruto had taken another mission but provided her with a number of assignments to complete by the time he got back.

She had finished _Shadow Lightning_ the day before he left and was quite surprised by the results. Hanabi did enjoy the proud look on her sensei's face though when she pulled it off. He even let her enjoy it for a whole minute this time before setting her on to the next task.

'_What a rush that was.'_

Witnessing the powerful blue bolts of lightning shooting from her palms was an intoxicating experience. She had never used something so destructive before. Combining it with her Byakugan to attack an enemy's internal organs would be devastating.

He provided her with the scrolls for the _Thunder Explosion_ jutsu next. It was another B-ranked raiton jutsu that would give her a deadly ranged attack to add to her growing arsenal. She would probably have to wait for him to return though to perfect it but she was getting the basics down.

'_Well I better not be late for mission assignments.'_

Hanabi had put off taking another mission for over a week at this point. With Naruto gone on his own mission, she had no excuse to keep her from going. A chunin's work is never done. She finished up her routine. Throwing on her chunin vest, she made her way to the mission center.

'_Probably border patrol. Ugh, so boring.'_

Border patrol usually ran on a cycle with the chunins of the village and Hanabi had not had a go at it for about a month. She was due but it usually involved a random group thrown together consisting of other chunin needing to fill their quota. They'd run from checkpoint to checkpoint on a five day patrol of a particular area of the border. When everything checked out all clear, they'd head back to the village to report. Almost the equivalent of walking dogs for D-ranks was the border patrol mission to C-ranks.

Hanabi arrived at the mission center and took her place in line. She noticed a lot more faces in the waiting room than normal.

'_Guess we've received an influx of missions lately. Maybe I won't have to do border patrol. Man it'd be great to get out there and be able to use some of these new techniques.'_

She finally made her way to the front desk. The receptionist didn't bother to look up being so consumed in her work.

"Name and rank?"

"Hanabi Hyuga, Chunin."

The receptionist skimmed through the files. "Hyuga, Hyuga… ah here we are. Border patrol."

Hanabi sighed. _'Oh well.'_

The receptionist handed her the assignment paperwork and shuffled Hanabi to the side.

Team: Patrol Team Epsilon (1 Jounin, 4 chunin)

Leader: Jounin Henshin Takahashi

Duration: 6 days

Location: Sector 42-A

Mission: Report any and all activity that occurs in sector 42-A during the duration of assignment. No occurrence is minor, report ALL activity back at each checkpoint.

Mission Rank: B

Rendezvous: East gate, 0930 hours

'_B-level border patrol? I thought they were all C-level.'_

Hanabi had done Border patrol for a little over two years now. She had never seen the mission rank reach B.

'_Something must be happening. Maybe I will get to cut loose out there.'_

An eager grin made its way to Hanabi's face. She had been antsy for a real fight. Fighting her sensei while intense was not the same as fighting in a battle. She had grown over the last few months and wanted to test herself against a genuine enemy. She knew that Naruto would never truly hurt her despite the harsh nature of his training. She needed bona fide action.

Satisfied with the mission details, Hanabi returned the paperwork to the front desk with her signature for acceptance and headed back to the door. It was close to 9:30 so she sprinted towards the East gate. She arrived with a few minutes to spare. Hanabi could see three other members of her team waiting for her.

The first was the mission leader, Henshin Takahashi. He was an older ninja, probably in his late thirties. She had seen him around the mission center but never worked on the same team. A moderate build with no distinguishing features. She wondered how he handled things on mission. Hopefully he wouldn't be a hard ass.

The next two were Amaya Yoshida and Hisoka Sato. Hanabi had worked with each of them on different missions during her time as chunin. She had no problems with either. Amaya looked to be in her mid twenties. Physically fit if not overly pretty. She had an average look about her; a little taller than Hanabi with medium length, brown hair tied neatly in a bun, a bit more muscular as well. She kept mostly to herself but would speak up if necessary. Hanabi had never taken it upon herself to strike up a conversation with Amaya and was perfectly ok with that. She figured Amaya took her job seriously enough but didn't quite have the talent to ascend any higher in the ranks. Hisoka was a bit older, early to mid thirties. He had the common look of a career chunin. Standard build, average height, several scars showing that he's seen his fair share of action, Hisoka was perfectly average. Mild mannered and a bit reserved, Hanabi had barely heard maybe three words from Hisoka in the missions she had with him. Both of them would be fine to deal with.

Hanabi checked in with the team leader. "Hanabi Hyuga, reporting in."

Henshin responded in kind. "At ease, we'll be heading out as soon as our last member arrives."

Hanabi nodded and waited near the other two. She gave a quick nod of acknowledgement that was returned from Amaya and Hisoka. While she waited, she double checked her equipment. The storage seals Naruto taught her had become invaluable. Their capacity was only limited by her imagination and chakra stores. Needless to say, she had been far better stocked after Naruto's teachings.

As the clock ticked down to the departure time, the last member of the squad arrived with seconds to spare. Hanabi didn't recognize him.

"Naoki Kobayashi, reporting in."

"Just made it, Naoki. I thought you weren't going to be doing this anymore." Henshin asked rhetorically.

"Sorry sir just got notice a few minutes ago. I made my way straight here."

Naoki seemed to be an upbeat guy in Hanabi's opinion. He showed some emotion in his response which was a change for the usually stoic chunins she's dealt with. Much more animated than the other three. He was probably around Amaya's age if she had to guess. The familiarity in Amaya's eyes appeared to indicate this as well. He was taller than the others, standing a full foot above Hanabi's head. He wasn't very impressive though. It looked like a stiff breeze could knock him over. Hanabi wondered if he was recently promoted from genin. It wasn't uncommon for most ninja to make chunin until they've had about a decade of service under their belt. Only the elites from the clans and overachievers were expected to succeed early on in their careers.

Amaya and Hisoka popped up now that Naoki arrived. Henshin addressed them for the mission.

"Alright listen up. So we have border patrol duty for the next week or so. We're designated squad epsilon for the duration of the mission. Everyone familiar with the mission details?"

A round of nods and one excited 'yea' from Naoki confirmed it.

"So the higher ups are a little worried about what's going on at the border. A lot more skirmishes have been happening. They aren't telling us exactly what's going on but expect to have an enemy encounter on the mission. Wedge formation, I'll be 8-ball. Hyuga, you take point. Keep us informed with those eyes of yours. Yoshida, Sato, take up the flanks, Naoki the rear."

Each member fell into formation easily.

"We'll go till we reach the first marker. Should be there by 1230 hours. I want to get to marker two by nightfall. We have 15 of these things to monitor this week. Keep your eyes open at all times. Nothing is routine on this mission. Inform me of all activity. Questions?"

Hanabi spoke up "Why the B-rank sir? Has there been an escalation from someone?"

"Like I said, there have been skirmishes from unknown enemies. Most likely missing nin but don't discount anything. Up the danger and up the pay. It happens occasionally. Last time I can remember was back about five years ago during the Fourth Great war. Hopefully not a sign of things to come."

Henshin seemed like a level headed man. An unusual sight for the jounin ranks of the leaf.

'_A sane commander? What is this world coming to?' _Hanabi mused.

"Anything else?"

The silence answered for Henshin.

"Alright move out, full gait."

With that squad epsilon made their way through the dense forest surrounding Konoha on their way to the border.

* * *

"So that was basically it. Another dead-end lead." Naruto reported in.

Tsunade rubbed her temple at the news. "This is becoming frustrating. We have units being watched and attacked but no one can ever find out who is doing it?"

Naruto didn't seem pleased either. "It appears that way Hokage-sama. This unit at least caught a glimpse before the attackers fled. It was dark, as has been the MO for these attacks, but one of our chunin made out a figure in the darkness that definitely had a Cloud symbol on his head band. By the time I got there though, all traces of the enemy were gone from the site."

The stress seemed to be getting to the Godaime as she rolled her chair away from the desk in exasperation. Tsunade leaned back to stretch. Her ample chest testing the durability of her shirt as it stretched to its limits. She didn't seem to realize what she was doing or perhaps didn't care because of the company. The fatigue she was displaying overrode any modesty she normally had.

Trying not to be too obvious, Naruto made sure his eyes were back on hers when she righted herself in the chair. It wouldn't do to be caught ogling your parental figure, even if she was still stunningly gorgeous. Besides he still held a small grudge against her for continuing to train Sakura after what happened. It was fading more and more by the day but at the time, he felt fully justified in giving her the cold shoulder. Now though, he realizes it was petty of him to think the world stopped for his pain. Still, he couldn't just breakdown and apologize to Tsunade after stubbornly shunning her for so long. He knew he was being immature but his foolish pride just wouldn't allow him to bend quite yet. He could feel the anger fading though. Soon he would be able to overcome his stupidity and let Tsunade back in. Just... not yet.

"Well, there's nothing that can be done about it now. I'll probably have another mission for you within the week so don't get too distracted by Hanabi in the mean time." Tsunade smirked.

She had been trying to bait him more into a casual conversation or at least a jovial exchange. Naruto had stubbornly refused to bite though, much to her chagrin. "I won't."

"How has it been anyway? You two playing nice together?"

"Her training is coming along nicely but there is no need to worry. I'm always available to do my duty Tsunade-sama."

Her hopeful eyes glanced over to him suddenly. _'Wait what did I say?' _He realized too late that he addressed her as Tsunade and not Hokage. He hadn't done that in years. Her eyes were almost pleading, begging him to come back but she too was stubborn. The rest of her face never gave away her emotions. Tsunade maintained her professional demeanor towards him.

"Very well. One other thing to note. Neji was asking for you personally. He said he had an important matter to discuss. You should probably go see him as soon as you can."

"I will Hokage-sama. If there's nothing else, I'll be going then." Naruto turned to leave her office.

Tsunade bit her lip as he was walking away and suddenly called out to him hoping she didn't sound too desperate. "Wait, Naruto?!"

He could hear the longing in her voice and it was starting to affect him more and more these days. "Yes, Tsunade-sama?" He gave her that one for free.

He could see the conflicted look on her face as to whether or not she should breakdown and plea for her little brother to return. She too was stubborn though. "Just... make sure you... fill out your paperwork on the mission properly."

Naruto gave a small smile to her. "Yea, I'll make sure..." _'baa-chan.'_

Even though he didn't say the last part out loud, the sentiment could be felt. The look on Tsunade's face said that she understood as well. He saw the light return to her eyes for the first time in a while. He wondered just how selfish he had been in his treatment towards her. Such a positive reaction to come from such a simple smile spoke volumes of how much she truly cared.

_'I'll make it up to her one day, just not right now.'_

With that, Naruto made his way out of Tsunade's office. He had to go find Neji to see what was so important to discuss.

After checking the mission logs, he saw that Neji was not out of the village currently. He figured he was probably training either in the Hyuga compound or with his teammate. He made his way to the training grounds first.

When he arrived at the field most often used by Team Gai, he did indeed find Neji and Lee sparring at full speed. This was nothing new as these two were some of the best jounin Konoha had to offer. Keeping in top physical form was just an unspoken requirement for all the jounin of the village. Not that you had to tell these two twice to train. It was basically in their blood.

A few more minutes passed and Naruto was greeted by two of his more eccentric comrades.

"Greetings Naruto-kun! What brings you out here on this glorious day?" Lee exuberantly proclaimed. He had finally lost the green spandex for a more conventional looking uniform. Still fairly form fitting but thankfully, for the male population, not all over as it used to be. The bowl cut and the eye brows were much tamer as well. Lee looked dashing in comparison to his younger self. Something the ladies of the village certainly appreciated. His boisterous attitude though was still as lively as ever.

"Not much. Neji had said he needed to talk to me about something."

"Indeed. Something very pressing I wanted your advice on." Neji spoke up.

Lee had taken the cue from Neji's serious demeanor. He seemed to have an idea of what he wished to discuss. "Well I must be going you two. Still another 10,000 pushups and sit ups to do before the day is out. We must spar sometime, Naruto-kun. It's been too long and I must know how my other eternal rival has fared over the years."

"I'll see if I can make some time, Lee." Naruto gave a small smile.

"I look forward to that." Lee gave a determined grin to his blonde rival.

With that, the handsome green beast of Konoha blasted off towards another training ground.

Naruto turned back to Neji. He recognized that Neji didn't invite him for a social call. Something was troubling him.

"So what's up, Neji?"

"There is a concerning matter I wish to discuss about my clan but first let me ask how the training goes with Hanabi-sama? I'm interested to hear how my little cousin is doing."

Naruto shifted slightly at Neji's changing of topics. "She's not so little anymore, Neji. She's shaping into a powerful woman."

Neji's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Is that so? I trust I don't need to remind you to remain professional with her."

Naruto's eyebrow rose. "Are you really trying to intimidate me? What would you do if I wasn't?"

"I have ways." Neji maintained the menacing _older brother_ stare.

Naruto couldn't help to laugh. "Ha! As unlikely as that is, rest assured that I have been completely professional in my training with Hanabi. As far as how she's doing, well she is nothing short of amazing."

Neji grinned at that.

Naruto continued. "She has a drive and determination that I haven't seen in anyone since... well myself. She absorbs my teachings like a sponge and is able to figure them out whether I spoon feed her or leave her on her own. She truly is a prodigy. I'd say she's easily jounin level at this point. She had the skills before but she lacked the confidence and the knowledge. I've brought her up to speed on both as well as her physical training. At this point I'd say she can go toe to toe with most of our jounin kunoichi and a good number of the shinobi, though Hinata would still probably edge her out. I can't wait to see what she can do with another couple months of training."

Naruto could easily go on for another hour praising his charming student. He was genuinely proud of her progress.

Neji seemed to notice the admiration Naruto held for his little cousin. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm certain that this training you are providing her has helped boost her confidence immensely. She may not seem it but she is fragile. Her father has been hard on her as far back as I can remember."

Naruto had an idea of Hiashi Hyuga's personality and the way he ran things but he never pressed Hanabi on her personal life. It was part of respecting her privacy. "Well it's all on her. She's the one pushing to be better."

"She's being driven by something though. I don't think I've ever seen her so determined. I'm sure you've rubbed off on her a little bit."

"Ugh, phrasing, Neji."

Neji stuttered a bit. "I didn't mean it like that, idiot!"

Naruto chuckled at his discomfort. "I know. It's just funny seeing you get worked up but I get what you mean. So what did you want to talk about? I doubt it was to praise me on your cousin's training."

Neji straightened himself and returned to his stoic form. "Quite right. There is troubling matters going on within my clan. Hiashi is not acting as himself at all."

"How so?"

"He's become increasingly violent and irrational. Normally you would be hard pressed to see any emotion from the man but lately he's been quick to anger by anyone that crosses his path. Something isn't right."

"Well what makes you think he's not just having a mid-life crisis or simply losing his mind?"

"If you knew my uncle, you'd understand but as for further evidence, I only have circumstantial information. The Hyuga council head, Gaikun Hyuga, has been increasingly antagonistic towards Hiashi. He would have never provoked him in the past. He usually went out of his way to make sure Hiashi was appeased in any measure he tried to pass for the clan. The last couple months though, he's made several motions that have only seemed to have a purpose of provoking Hiashi to anger."

"Well politics are politics. Maybe he's just trying to take some shots at Hiashi to gain something for himself. I mean what kinds of things is he proposing?"

"That's just it though. He is proposing things that he knows Hiashi would flat out deny authorization. Issues that would appear insulting to suggest to the clan leader. Hiashi would never anger over these types of things before but now he reacts violently. It's as if he's trying to make Hiashi appear unfit to run the clan."

"I'm still not seeing any grand conspiracy here Neji. Give me some specifics."

"Well, Gaikun has proposed limits on the clan leader's ability to spend outside of the clan. He's all but accused Hiashi of being incompetent in trade negotiations with other clans in Konoha and abroad. He's even proposed that Hanabi be arranged to be married to his own son." Neji's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Naruto was passive until the last one. Despite his best efforts to ignore Hanabi's personal life, there was no way he could dismiss this. Arranged marriages were a pet peeve of his to begin with but the welfare of his student took precedence over almost anything lately for Naruto.

"What's the son like?" Naruto tried to sound uninterested but it was completely obvious that he was seething on the inside at the thought of Hanabi being forced to do something against her will.

"Let me put it this way. Orochimaru has more morals than this bastard. Fuzen Hyuga is a deplorable excuse for a human being." Neji was physically ill at the thought of Fuzen.

Naruto was not happy with this information. "Alright I'm listening. So you honestly believe that this Gaikun guy is making a power play on Hiashi? What good would it do him though? I thought Hinata is the heir."

"Hinata-sama is the heir. So I admit that I haven't figured that angle out yet. The only thing I can believe is that he has some plot against her as well. I just don't know what he could do though since she's fairly safe for the moment in the Inuzuka compound."

"Well this is definitely something serious then. Coup d'etat is not something we can afford right now within one of our clans. I'm going to bring this to Tsunade but I need you to get me more information, something more substantial. How do you feel about _working_ for me?"

Naruto had taken it upon himself to create a modest spy network with his contacts within Konoha and in other lands around the elemental nations. He learned from Jiraiya on the ins and outs but he could never take over his sensei's network since he didn't know all the contacts nor would they trust him. He had been building his network since Jiraiya's death in secret. He was finally getting it to a point of respectability and usefulness for Konoha. It was also another project to take his mind off of things.

"I have held great animosity for my clan over the years but I certainly do not want to see its demise and I most certainly don't want a man like Gaikun to be able to succeed in whatever he is plotting. Nothing good will come from it. Yes I will find out what's going on and report back to you."

"Good to hear. Alright, how much do you interact with the clan still?"

"I have my regular responsibilities to complete every day. Even though I live away from the compound with my wife and child, I am still honor bound to show at the clan compound for about four hours a day."

"Ok, we can work with that. Are you able to get close to any of these individuals without appearing out of the ordinary?"

"Yes, one of my regular rotating chores includes serving the Hyuga council members and training some of their children."

"Great, so find out whatever you can and get back to me in say a week. I'll let Tsunade know of the particulars as we go."

Neji nodded and turned to leave. As he was going though, he turned back to Naruto. "It was good to see you Naruto. Tenten would love to see you as would Eiji. He probably wouldn't mind seeing his crazy uncle Ruto stop by."

Naruto gave a sad grin. Again he was realizing just how many people he affected with his moodiness. It's amazing he's been blind to it until recently. "I'm sorry I've been so distant. I'll try to some time. Tell them I said hi."

"I will." With that Neji took off.

* * *

"Ok squad check point 13 will be coming up in 30 minutes. Be alert." Henshin called out to the team.

'_And they'll probably be nothing there either._' Hanabi sighed internally.

She supposed that she should be grateful that the mission had been this uneventful. Wishing for action was a morbid thing to do but the excess adrenaline she had built up needed an outlet. That of course was several days ago. Now she was just bored and hoping for the mission to end soon. Three more checkpoints to go though.

'_Nothing out of the ordinary at all. Not even a dead animal or displaced terrain._'

Although that in and of itself should be considered out of the ordinary. She thought back to a lesson Naruto had taught her.

_Hanabi and just been defeated soundly again by Naruto. He had once again used a move that she had not comprehended being possible to put her down. _

"_Sensei, this just isn't fair. You keep changing tactics whenever it looks like I have you."_

"_Looks can be deceiving, princess. Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them."_

"_Don't trust my eyes? That's like the backbone of my whole clan's philosophy though. If I can't trust them then what can I trust?"_

"_Your intelligence, your strength, your will. No body part will ever win you a fight. It is the combination of all these parts that consist of one you that make the ultimate weapon. Know yourself and trust what you know." _

_Hanabi was completely lost. _

_Naruto elaborated. "Put it this way. If your eyes are showing a perfect scenario, like a wide open stance in an opponent or a perfectly calm day during a mission, but there's a nagging suspicion in your brain that it's not alright, who will you trust? Your eyes which are only processing what's in front of them or your intuition which is a combination of all your traits?"_

Hanabi broke from her reverie to analyze the situation again. Nothing had happened out of the ordinary on the whole trip around the checkpoints. The scenery, the rest periods, the flora and fauna; everything was set as it would appear to be normal. No mission ever is just normal.

'_Something isn't right. I can just feel it._'

A healthy dose of paranoia is essential for a young ninja to become an old ninja. She changed her mindset from a lackadaisical one to fully alert. She noticed her squad mates were a little lax as she just was. Hanabi was about to voice her concerns to Henshin when all hell broke loose.

A swarm of kunai burst from the tree line breaking up their formation. Each member scattered to avoid the barrage.

Amaya and Naoki broke left while Hanabi and Hisoka broke right. Henshin dodged as many as he could but took one in the calf that dropped him to the ground quickly. He regrouped and managed to avoid the next wave aimed to end his leadership permanently. He apparently had more fight in him than that.

"Fallback to bravo point." Henshin called out to his team. Meanwhile his hand signals showed he wanted a feint. Draw the enemy out and engage them.

Hanabi noticed the hand signals and informed Hisoka who was busy watching for the next wave to come at them.

All five members of Epsilon were moving at breakneck speed towards the designated ambush point. Their enemy was rapidly closing on their position. Hisoka had taken a hit in his side right where the flak jacket seams are stitched. He was bleeding profusely but still tried to keep up with Hanabi.

They reached the designated area where they had standard traps prepared. Part of the patrol routine was to keep an area setup for an ambush every so many checkpoints. Lucky 13 was one of those checkpoints.

They all took their positions and awaited the enemies' arrival. They could vaguely feel the chakra being exuded by whatever was following them. It was overwhelming in its malevolence. Hanabi had never felt something so off about this chakra source. It was putrid as if it was projecting a nauseous sensation instead of just killing intent.

Three figures suddenly emerged from the foliage. Their speed was incredible. They took out Amaya instantly. The trap had no affect as the ninja, or whatever it was, took several kunai to the chest but kept going. It was like it was impervious to pain. Amaya stood no chance as her shock at the enemy brushing off her trap cost her the few seconds needed to dodge its blade from taking her head.

Henshin jumped in to attack and managed to inflict some damage on one of them judging by the roar it emitted. However, another one quickly attacked from behind before Naoki could provide adequate support. Henshin was already slowed by the calf wound and was run through the stomach by the enemy's katana. Henshin managed to get another desperate stab in the neck on the ninja but it appeared again to have no affect as the ninja merely twisted the blade upwards and ripped Henshin's torso in half.

Hanabi caught a look at the third one as it stood across from her and Hisoka. The face was masked but the eyes were exposed. She could see identification within them as it stared at her. Somehow she knew it was targeting her.

'_My bloodline_.'

There was a Cloud emblem on its forehead protector but that hardly mattered at this point. Survival was on her mind.

Hanabi and Hisoka quickly broke from their positions as the traps seemed to be useless. Hisoka maneuvered to try and get around the beast but it made a beeline for Hanabi. She entered a state of calm as it approached her.

'_Its speed is no match for mine. I can see its tenketsu and vital organs. Just need to end it quickly.' _

Her training was kicking in. The ninja came at her with an onslaught of haymakers intended to end her life. She deftly dodged all of them while inflicting vital hits on her opponent's tenketsu. While they may have been impervious to pain or damage from kunai, her strikes were chakra based and cut the enemy at its core. She noticed it become sluggish in its movements almost as if it was a wounded animal. The swings were wild and unruly. Hanabi built up her chakra and went through the hand seals for _Shadow Lightning_ in a mere three seconds. She struck the heart with a precise burst of lightning chakra exploding it in the enemy ninja's chest. Not surprisingly it kept going for a few more seconds.

'_These bastards just won't die!_'

Hanabi simply dodged the last desperate attacks from the ninja as it slowly died down. It finally fell to the ground dead a full minute after she destroyed its heart though.

"What the hell are these things?" Hisoka cried out.

Hanabi could see that he was visibly shaken by the still ongoing battle. His blood loss must be affecting him by now. She didn't have time to lose her cool though. She could see the other two ninja regrouping with minimal wear. Henshin and Amaya were dead and Naoki was missing.

"Snap the fuck out of it! We still have two more." Hanabi chastised her elder comrade.

Hisoka looked like he was about to bolt and run. "We- we have to get out of here!"

"Do you really think you can outrun them? We have to kill them before they kill us."

Hanabi saw the same recognition in the remaining two ninjas' eyes. They were definitely after her because of the Byakugan. They both made their way to her. Hanabi was prepared though. With a burst of speed she suddenly launched herself at the one on the right. It wasn't prepared for another impulsive _Shadow Lighting_ strike and thus had its heart obliterated. With blood gushing from its mouth, this one went down much quicker having dropped only a few seconds after impact.

The remaining ninja had turned his attack on the petrified Hisoka who put up little resistance. Hanabi saw Hisoka with a sword puncturing right side of his chest most likely collapsing his lung. The ninja threw him to the ground expunging Hisoka from his weapon. He turned back towards Hanabi and launched himself at her.

Hanabi didn't allow any thoughts to invade her mind. She was in the moment and allowed her instincts to guide her. Her chakra had barely been strained from her previous attacks and she was hardly winded. The adrenaline was overriding any instincts to flee. She was fully in charge here.

'_Time to show them who they are messing with._'

The final ninja must have been the leader or at least the most skilled of the three. He fought with more technique and skill divulging many years of training. The sickening chakra flowing through his body didn't seem to degenerate his composure as much as it had the other two.

He came at Hanabi in a much more coherent attack resembling some form of kenjutsu. She paid it no mind and allowed her body to dart from point to point avoiding his strikes. She was toying with him almost. Hanabi closed the tenketsu in the legs first and was pleased at the rapidly decreasing pace her enemy was displaying. She then broke down the arms and watched as he dropped the sword to the ground but continued to attack with a narrow focused goal of capturing her in mind. Hanabi was enjoying her efforts but noticed that the tenketsu were beginning to unblock.

'_What the…? Only sensei can do that! I need to end this._'

Hanabi finally stopped playing around and shot a burst of lightning chakra through her fingers directly into the enemy ninja's brain. It burst inside of his skull causing his eyes to melt as blood surged through his nose and mouth. The body fell to the ground in a heap.

Hanabi stopped to survey the damage. She checked through the woods to make sure there were no more enemies waiting. She found none but she did see Naoki unconscious a good ways away from the battle site. She first stopped at Hisoka though. He was laboring badly having one of his lungs penetrated. She saw the fear in his eyes.

"He-he-lp me-ee…" Hisoka shivered as he called out to her, his voice barely audible.

Hanabi came to his side to check on him but she knew he was done for. His uncharacteristic vulnerability in his dying breaths did pang at her heart a little but she had only known him from a handful of missions. She merely held his hand and tried to comfort him in his last moments. He was gone after only a few more minutes.

Hanabi sighed as she stood up. _'What the hell happened here?'_

She figured that the border patrol mission was FUBAR and would immediately head for Konoha. Luckily, checkpoint 13 wasn't too far from the village. Hanabi made her way over to Naoki's body and took a look. He didn't seem that damaged. She didn't see any external wounds and internally he was fine.

'_Guess he just passed out. Some ninja.'_ Hanabi scoffed.

Hanabi managed to pick up his sizable form and began to carry him back to the village. Unfortunately she didn't have any means to take one of the bodies of her enemies. She settled for the Cloud forehead protector as some proof. Hopefully they could get an ANBU team out there immediately to investigate but she had to report this in immediately.

With that she set off for the village with Naoki in tow.

* * *

Naruto had upgraded his living arrangements over the years. No longer did he live in the rundown apartment on the lower east side of Konoha. He was more than able to afford the comfortable three- bedroom, bachelor pad near the clan residencies of the village that he now resides in. A much more secure and affluent area compared to his old digs. Still, he wasn't worried about creature comforts or status. If that had been on his mind, he would have just moved into his parent's old house.

The Namikaze compound had long been closed off to the public. Naruto had been informed of his inheritance while he was training with Tsunade to become the next Hokage, probably about four or five years ago now. It didn't matter. Naruto had decided to leave his parents home as it was. He checked out the scrolls and any secrets that may have been locked up there but otherwise he wasn't interested in the place. It was just a constant reminder of everything that was sacrificed on the day of his birth.

Naruto rather chose this apartment for the space it provided and the proximity to the Hokage tower it maintained. It made it a lot easier to do his job on a daily basis. Plenty of space to do his research on new jutsu ideas as was evidenced by one of the bedrooms being overwhelmed with scrolls and formulas for all sorts of theories. He had his master bedroom with ample room to accommodate himself and any personal belongings as well as any companion he had for the evening when he was going through his womanizing phase.

The third bedroom was for any friends he was still on speaking terms with to crash there as an escape from their significant other, all night bender to sleep off or just wanting to make sure they weren't late for an important meeting the next day. Choji had stayed there plenty of times after the more violent fights with Ino. Anko even took up residence for a couple weeks. Surprisingly it was purely platonic as despite her teasing of the blonde, Anko saw him truly as a little brother of hers. Naruto was just fine with that as he had enough screwed up relationships with women as it was. He didn't need to add an older sister complex to the mix.

It's in this humble abode that we find Naruto going over all the legal documents pertaining to the Hyuga clan. In it contained the clan's history as well as all of their bylaws and stipulations as negotiated when they joined Konoha with many revisions added over the years. Naruto even had access to the Hokage's personal vault, without Tsunade's knowledge, to get information on some of the more intriguing tidbits between the clans and the village. He tried not to abuse it so as not to get caught but it was worth the risk to have more information at his disposal when making decisions on how to approach an operation.

He knew that he was putting Neji at risk by trying to have him find more tangible evidence on what was going on but Konoha could not afford a clan takeover right now. He knew that the village's policy on clans is stay hands off but that was for the public consumption. The Hokages have been manipulating clan politics for decades. The trick was to not get caught or to pin the suspicion on someone else if you did. Tsunade had agreed when he presented the info to her. She was understandbly hesitant about treading on clan business but she wanted to be informed if the situation grew to become anything that threatened Konoha as a whole.

Naruto plopped back into his recliner after finishing up about eight straight hours of research. Rubbing his temples, he decided that some food was in order. He made his way down to the bustling streets and was heading towards the one mainstay that helped keep his sanity over the years, Ichiraku's Ramen Stand.

His mind was buzzing with the Hyuga issue at the forefront. He certainly was becoming more and more involved in Hanabi's clan than he thought he would. He had grown to genuinely like the girl though over the last few months. She had quickly become one of his most important people in his life. Her presence was soothing even if she personally was frustrating as hell sometimes. If someone in her clan was plotting something and planned on using her in the scheme, they'd have to answer to a very angry sensei.

Naruto slid in to his usual seat quietly and waited for ayame to notice his presence.

"Welcome to Ichiraku's! What can I... Oh. How are you Naruto-kun?"

"Not too bad. How are you doing, Ayame?"

"Good! We've been so busy lately with the new menu and all."

"I'll bet, and how's the old man doing?"

"As well as can be expected. I think retirement sounded better in theory to him."

Naruto hadn't seen old man Ichiraku at the stand in well over a year. His retirement was somewhat forced due to health concerns. Ayame had insisted that he let her handle the business after he collapsed at the stand while serving customers. Luckily it was only a mild dizzy spell but his doctor suggested a less strenuous workload to ease the stress. Ever since then he's been spending time spoiling his little grandson and attempting to teach him the ways of the ramen chef.

"And how's little Taka? Your dad teach him all his secrets yet?"

"He's only three Naruto. Give him some time."

"I just want to make sure my ramen supply is secure for years to come."

Ayame gave him a smirk. "Of course you do. Here's your order."

"Itadakimasu."

Naruto dug in with his usual fervor. Ramen was the one constant that kept him grounded. Sure he ate a more balanced diet than he used to but with his metabolism and longevity, he could afford to grab some ramen once a day. It was a comfort food in every sense of the word. He allowed the steam from the broth to wash over his face cleansing him of his stress. The warmth of the noodles gave a slight burn to his throat as he inhaled them searing away any pain he may have been feeling at the time. By the end of a sitting he could think more clearly and get back to the business at hand.

While he was enjoying his meal, two other ninja sat down looking worn out from a mission.

"I think I'm going to put in for some time off. That mission just took too much out of me." The smaller of the two spoke up.

"I know what you mean. I don't know what those things were but if we didn't retreat when we did, we would have been done for." The taller one added.

Naruto didn't recognize the two but his interest instantly became piqued. He remained casual, going about his usual eating habits and continuing a light conversation with Ayame but he was listening intently. The two ninja looked to be no more than chunin level, early twenties. He wondered what mission they were on.

"Thank god Hideki-taicho had the sense to order a retreat. Those things were monsters. Too bad Reina-chan and Satoro didn't stand a chance."

"Yea, I'd rather not think about it. That chakra was awful. I'm just glad we don't have border patrol for awhile. If those things are out there I don't want to be anywhere near it."

Naruto had been reading reports about border patrols encountering enemy ninja over the course of the last few months but he had not heard anything about monstrous beings during the encounters. They were always just ninja.

"The way they ripped into Satoro before we could even recognize they were there..."

"I know I was there! I don't want to relive it." The smaller one seemed visibly shaken by the memory.

Naruto felt he needed to chime in. "I hope you two are aware that mission info should not be divulged in the open so lightly."

Both of them stiffened having not noticed Naruto's presence. They knew his reputation and were instantly afraid of reprimand.

"So-orry sir. It was just a bad mission is all. We didn't mean to let anything slip." The taller one offered.

"It's fine. I know how bad missions can stick with you. Information like that though can cause a panic. Keep it to yourselves. I hope you added all this to the mission reports though."

"Yes Sir!" They both shouted.

"Good. What are your names by the way?"

The smaller one spoke first. "I'm Chunin Tatsuru Kimura, sir!"

"And I'm Chunin Yuu Mori, sir!" They both saluted him.

"At ease. So, off the record though, what did you see?" Naruto wanted to find out some first hand knowledge while it was still fresh.

Tatsuru went first. "Well... we were patrolling sector 40-B of the border. We got to checkpoint 10 and everything seemed to be going fine until we were blindsided by an unseen enemy. Two of our team members were taken down immediately. Three... creatures is all I could describe them as, were the ones that did it."

"How do you mean? Did they look humanoid or were they more animal-like?" Naruto inquired.

Yuu chimed in then. "Well they appeared human and they each had Cloud forehead protectors but the chakra they were putting out was stifling. It made me want to throw up just from being near them. Their muscles were freakishly blown up beyond what should be normal porportions. It was like they were demons."

Naruto had plenty of first hand experience with demons having caged one his whole life as well as fought beside and against them.

"So did they have any kind of extra appendages like wings or claws or tentacles?"

"Nothing like that but you could see a faint glow around them like their chakra was leaking out. They also seemed to attack single-mindedly. Like they were wild animals just lashing out at a perceived enemy. They ripped apart poor Reina-chan like she was a nothing." Tatsuru was obviously affected by the memory.

"I'm sorry about your friend." Naruto offered. "What else can you tell me?"

"That's about it unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it. Our squad leader told us to retreat for the village once he saw the other two taken down so easily. If we had stayed to fight, I doubt we could have taken all three of them. Nothing we threw at them did any damage. We were just lucky they stopped following us after a certain point." Yuu added.

"Alright, well get some rest then but don't go spreading any rumors around. We don't need the civilians getting into a panic if it turns out to be nothing."

"Yes sir! We won't!" Both chunin saluted Naruto and grabbed their orders to go not wanting risk offending the toad sage any further.

"I trust you know not to spread this around either, Ayame." Naruto glanced at the lovely ramen cook.

"I would think you knew me enough by now Naruto-kun but yes, I won't let anyone know about it. Though it does sound troubling."

"Don't worry. I'm on it. There won't be any boogey men coming to Konoha while I'm on watch." Naruto gave a charming smile.

He finished up his meal and waved goodbye to Ayame. He had another thing to report to Tsunade.

_'Should just put a cot in her office for the amount of time I spend there.' _

The information the two chunin provided him was troubling. Did Cloud have a new weapon they were trying out? Even if they did why would they use it on Konoha? So many questions, not enough answers. He needed to start finding some soon or else another war could break out.

* * *

The journey home was difficult for Hanabi but it became a lot easier once Naoki woke up. Dragging his body with her for the first few hours was grueling but she knew she could make it to Konoha by nightfall. Once he woke up, she was less incumbered and could open up her speed.

There was the pressing issue as to what happened with Naoki though. He had woken up in a daze and stumbled about light heartedly wondering what happened. Hanabi was not amused. She had foregone any kind of interrogation of Naoki as to why he was unconscious a good distance away from the fight but she made her anger known to him. Naoki's cheerful attitude was instantly suppressed when he realized the rest of the team had been killed.

They had finally arrived at the village gates a few moments ago and Hanabi was relieved.

"Alright, I'll go report this mess in. You get to the hospital and make sure there's nothing wrong with you. Passing out in battle will certainly get you killed next time." Hanabi took charge over the subdued Naoki.

"Yea, I guess I should."

His downtrodden look made her feel slightly bad about laying into him but he was a liability out there. Konoha couldn't afford to have a ninja like that out on missions if he can't be relied upon to back up his teammates.

"Alright, see you around then." Hanabi turned to leave.

As she did, Naoki called out to her. "I- I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I don't know what happened but I'm sorry. Thank you for saving my life."

He gave her a very deep bow in front of all those standing there. Hanabi was slightly embarassed by the genuine gratitude.

"Don't mention it." Hanabi gave a smirk very similar to her sensei's.

She made her way to the mission center to make the report on her disaster of a mission. They needed to know about this as soon as possible.

* * *

Naoki smiled as she walked away. He turned in the opposite direction. When he made his way around the corner, any sense of emotion left his face. His feet were taking him somewhere as if he were a drone. After making several twists and turns through Konoha's back alleys, he came to a dark, unihabited den.

He removed a panel from the wall that wasn't noticeable at first glance and began turning the knob in specific pattern. A small click was heard as the wall opened up to reveal a chamber with an intricate communications seal on the ground.

Naoki sat in the center of the seal and started to exude chakra from his body to activate it. The shadow man appeared before him. Naoki immediately reported in.

"Unable to capture target at specified location."

There was no emotion that could be construed from the image. "I see. What happened exactly?"

"Test subjects arrived on schedule as informed and decimated the Konoha team. The target was much stronger than previously noted. She eliminated all three of the test subjects. I fell unconcsious as designed and awaited the end of the battle to carry out my second phase but mission was aborted when she survived."

"Interesting. Most interesting." The shadow man added in a dreadfully, inquisitive tone.

"We arrived back in Konoha just now and she is going to report the mission briefing. Shall I eliminate her?"

A few seconds passed before a response was given.

"That won't be necessary. While a Hyuga without the cursed seal is preferrable, it is only a minor inconvenience. I am more interested in this girl in particular now. She possesses skills much higher than was last reported. There's no way she should have been able to take on one of my experiements let alone all three."

The shadow man pondered while Naoki sat obediently awaiting his orders.

"I want you to find out more about this Hanabi Hyuga. She may prove to be a valuable test subject."

"It will be done my lord." Naoki saluted the shadow man and ended the transmission.

* * *

**Over 2800 hits and 1000 visitors in 12 hours and not one single review? Come on people. At least tell me it sucks or you hate me or something. ** **I'm dying over here.**


	7. Chapter 6

Here's the final new chapter that I have. Don't expect another one soon but I promise it won't take 5 years again. Going to be working on Echoes in Eternity for a bit since I have ideas flowing for that one. I'll come back to this eventually. I have to say I'm a bit disappointed though with the response to the new content. 10,000 views, over 4000 visitors in the 4 days it's been up and only 9 reviews? At least tell me something. Like this sucks or you hate me. Whatever, at least let me know you have some kind of feeling at all for this story. No response is just disheartening.

Anyway, my whining is done. Here's the new chapter.

* * *

Chapter 6

Sleep is an entirely underrated aspect of a human's natural cycle. The body craves it, repairs itself during it, and nourishes the brain through it. Sleep is something all of our bodies desire on a deeply subconscious level. Even the most hardened resolve eventually crumbles under the basic physiological need to replenish the body's energy.

Hanabi hadn't realized how long she was running on auto pilot until she got done her report. The call of sleep began almost immediately after she left the mission center. She felt as if she added another 200 pounds to her shoulders. Thankfully she was able to indulge in the luxury of a good rest for about five hours before she forcefully shook herself of the necessity. The key problem with sleep is that it took time, a lot of time. Time one usually didn't have.

Shaking the cobwebs away, Hanabi awoke in her room to find that she never made it to the shower before collapsing. The sweat, blood and grime from her mission still caked to her skin like a worn garment.

'_I reek of death. I need to get a shower in the worst way._'

Slowly, she stood up. Stretching her arms to the ceiling made for a pleasant sight as her firm belly was exposed through her slightly undone top. The bottom of her breasts caressed the fabric in a sensual dance, desperately crying for release from their confinement. Hanabi obliged their plea as she undid the remaining buttons on her shirt and let it casually fall to the floor. She moved towards the bathroom as she stripped. Her pants were next as she deftly let the attire glide down her silky smooth stems, touching the ground effortlessly. Panties were just as easily removed with a swift motion bending straight over touching her toes.

All this of course was done without thought as Hanabi's sole goal was to rid herself of the mission. She waited for the water to reach a proper temperature and shuddered as she entered. Still a bit cool as she came into it but it served to rid her of any lingering slumber urgently clinging to her psyche. The heat began to rise as she let the droplets cascade over her heavenly form. Little by little, the weight of everything washed away.

A strange sense of peace passed over her while she fully came to terms with the fact that her whole team save one lucky idiot was annihilated. Yet she not only held her own, she dominated her enemy. They were on a completely different level than her teammates and yet she managed to kill all three.

'_The old me would have been laying in a ditch with them for sure._'

No, that wasn't entirely true. They targeted her specifically. She doubted she'd have had the easy way out.

She wasn't arrogant enough to think that she had a reputation outside of Konoha enough for a kidnapping. Perhaps it was just her bloodline.

'_Of course, I am the clan head's daughter. Hinata was kidnapped once upon a time. Anything is possible._'

She ended the blissful warmth of the shower with a quick turn of the knobs. Drying herself off, she pondered what it all meant. What were those creatures? Why were they after her?

'_I need another opinion. I wonder if Naruto-sensei is back yet._'

Hanabi valued Naruto's insight. Part of that was just a natural result of being his pupil but when you sat down and listened to him, he truly did have a keen mind that saw things in different ways than what was conventional.

'_I hope he's back. I kind of… miss him._'

A genuine smile came to her beautiful face. She recognized that she may have developed a little crush on her sensei over the course of the last few months. As loath as she is to admit it, he has a way of growing on you. His abrasiveness is countered by his charm. His infuriatingly aloof demeanor at times opposed by his patient and calm explanations. As much as she wants to dismiss him as a jerk, he is impossible to resist. Like a force of nature, you can't escape his personality.

'_Oh well, not like it's ever going to happen. He's too guarded. I can't tell if he feels at all the same. Best to leave it be._'

Hanabi certainly didn't want things to get awkward between them. Not when she was seeing such impressive results from his training. She had never been better than where she stood at this very moment in terms of being a ninja. Personal feelings took a back seat to growing stronger.

'_There's too much riding on this to screw up my training now. I need this to survive no matter what lies ahead for me._'

She allowed her mind a brief pause on her potential future but quickly forced it from her brain. She wasn't going to let that happen. She would be no one's slave.

Hanabi decided it was time to seek out her wayward sensei and let him know all that had happened. She was certain that he would have an opinion on the matter.

* * *

Using the towel to dry his hair, Naruto strolled from his bathroom to his closet needing to get ready for the day. The tiny streams of water shimmering down his back were ignored as he was used to letting his body air dry aside from the mess on top of his head. He pulled out a standard outfit; black sweat pants reinforced with an inner woven carbon fiber mesh for added protection, steel chain mesh muscle shirt and standard issue combat boots with full steel plate padding.

Not particularly caring how he looks, Naruto hastily put on the outfit and ran down to grab some food before making his way to the Hokage tower. There was a lot to do and very little time to do it in.

Passing through the living room, Naruto saw the state of disarray his apartment had fallen into. The nonstop missions combined with his training of Hanabi had left him little time to tidy up when he was home. He had a couple minutes so he started picking up some of the mess while he shoved a breakfast bar in his mouth.

By the time he was content with the relatively clean state of his humble abode, a knock greeted him at his door.

"Come in." Naruto had an idea who it was from reaching out with his senses.

"Hello, Sensei."

Hanabi greeted him with a dazzling smile that shed his mind of any foreboding. It set him at ease to see her happily entering his home. Something so simple yet so comforting.

"What's up, princess? Just get back from a mission?"

"Yesterday actually, I wanted to talk to you about it." Her smile faded into a much more serious look.

Naruto's mood shifted to a more somber tone. "What happened?"

Hanabi took a deep breath and sat down in one of his more comfortable chairs. She seemed pleased with the soft cushions as she threw her stunning legs over the side of the arm.

She let out a huff. "It wasn't good to say the least."

Naruto let the silence hang there for a second figuring she was collecting her thoughts. Hanabi finally started again.

"It was just border patrol. You know, run the checkpoints, see nothing, and then come home. A simple week long mission. Things were going fine till the thirteenth checkpoint. We were suddenly ambushed by three monstrous ninja creatures."

This caught Naruto's attention. The conversation from the previous day at Ichiraku's came to his mind.

"They were far above normal. Their speed was pretty good but their strength and pain tolerance were inhuman. My team set an ambush for them and they shrugged off the kunai strikes like they were merely twigs. Two of my team members were dead within minutes. One other was injured and eventually killed. The final one somehow managed to get knocked clear of the battle and fell unconscious."

Her whole team was taken out!? This wasn't good.

"My god, did you make it out ok? Are you hurt anywhere? We should probably go see a doctor to make…"

"Sensei, I'm alright." She said with a reassuring smirk.

Naruto visibly calmed. "Are you sure? Don't need my precious student having any excuses on missing her training." He teased.

"Of course, sensei. Who do you think you're talking to?" She finished with a wink.

"Ok, well how did you make it out of there? These things sound pretty nasty."

Hanabi's grin turned cocky. "I took care of them. Yea they were fast and yea they were freaks but I handled them."

The beaming smile on Naruto's face could not have been brighter. The swelling of pride bursting from his chest was a wonderful sensation he had never felt before.

"Nice. So did you get a good look at these guys?"

"Two of them were grotesquely blown up muscle wise. Huge shoulders, ridiculous forearms and biceps. Their upper body was way out of proportion. They also fought like wild beasts. It was effective but they showed no skill. The third seemed to be more in control. He managed to wield a sword effectively but the beefed up muscles and speed were still there. Not as big as the others but still beyond normal. The veins were bulging from all of their necks."

"Did you see a village symbol at all?" Naruto had an idea but wanted to know anyway.

"Cloud."

"Yea, I figured."

"But honestly, I have no idea if they were Cloud ninja at all. The forehead protector was the only distinguishing mark."

"Yea, and they can certainly be faked if someone wanted to. But anyway, it's good to see you took them down no problem."

"I thought so. When I focused in on the attack, everything just slowed down. It was like they were moving in slow motion for me and I just knew what to do from your training."

"Well at least I know something is sticking in that thick skull of yours."

Hanabi stuck her tongue out at him in return. "Uh huh, with the nonsense you spew from your mouth sometimes, it's a wonder I learn anything at all."

They shared a small laugh before Hanabi turned serious again.

"There was something else though. The way they looked at me. It was like they were targeting me."

Naruto grew tense. "What do you mean?"

"When they attacked the others, they just ripped into them like rabid dogs. When they saw me, they paused and recognition lit up in their eyes. It has to be something to do with the Byakugan."

"Possible. Are you certain they were after you?"

"Definitely."

Naruto pondered these implications. "Ok, I have to report this to Tsunade. Possible cloud ninja targeting one of our main clans especially the Hyuga clan needs to be investigated thoroughly. Things are getting out of hand quickly here."

Hanabi nodded in agreement. "There seems to be a nervous air in the mission center these days. It feels like something big is happening."

"Well don't let the paranoia get to you. Even if something big is happening, we need our ninja to remain calm and focus on their jobs. I know you will do this for me."

"Yea, I know, sensei."

Naruto was really concerned about who could possibly be targeting her and for what reason. His own paranoia was starting to get to him.

"Listen, Hanabi, be careful when you're at the Hyuga compound. Something doesn't feel right there. And now these things targeting you, I don't like it."

Hanabi stiffened a bit at the mention of her home. "I – I know sensei. I can sense it too. Father does not seem himself. Our training sessions are shorter and shorter and his outbursts are growing irrational. He's not himself at all. I think someone may have done something to him."

He wanted to trust his student and hoped that he knew her well enough. "Well just between you and me, I'm looking into it deeper. If anything is happening, I will find out."

She seemed relieved that he was taking up the task. "I know you will, sensei."

Her demure smile gave him the confidence he needed to get to the bottom of this.

"Well I need to tell Tsunade about your mission immediately. If our border patrols are getting directly attacked and our bloodlines targeted, we may be on the verge of a war. Don't go too far though, there's still plenty of training to be done." He grinned at her.

Hanabi smiled right back. "I'm not going anywhere, Naruto-sensei."

The image of her beautiful form sitting comfortably in his home, her legs bouncing playfully, eyes full of mischief and fondness, was undeniably tempting. Naruto briefly allowed himself to wish her words were more than just face value before stifling that feeling.

* * *

His mind was not his own. He could see things but not act upon them. It's like he was watching a movie of someone playing his life. The madness of it all was beginning to eat away at him.

Naoki had only fleeting moments of control with his body anymore. It's been this way for months now. He couldn't exactly remember when it had started but he was certain someone had done something to him.

He clearly saw his conversations with a shadowy figure. Whether he was the one who did this to him directly or not wasn't as important anymore. The shadow man was the major threat in all of this. Yet he couldn't do anything about it.

Everything was so vivid and clear but the moment he returned to his body, the memories faded and he went about his life like nothing occurred. It was all the more infuriating when he'd have to relive all of them once he was back in this limbo.

He couldn't speak out about what he'd seen for he couldn't remember it. He wondered even if he suddenly remembered would the shadow man let him speak? He had no way to warn anyone. He was a prisoner in his own body.

He could see his body making the rounds of Konoha. Searching, analyzing, recording. He was the perfect spy. One Konoha could never crack. His mind would be wiped clean if ever captured. No trace to the source.

The things he had already done were enough to make him ill. Killing team members on missions, falsifying intel for other teams, kidnapping Hyuga members for the shadow man; it was insane.

Who was this man?

How did he get his claws into him?

Why can't he BREAK FREE!?

Naoki knew what his current mission was. Observe and analyze Hanabi Hyuga and report back all details on her. Normally this would be a task well above his skill level but whatever they did to him caused a ridiculous increase in his stealth ability.

He'd been tailing her on and off ever since their last mission together. His body was currently reporting his latest findings to the shadow man. Unlike the other Hyugas, the shadow man was deeply curious about her.

Naoki did notice the shadow man seemed like a simplistic being on the surface; curious like a child. More accurately though, he was like a mad scientist. Below that calm facade though was a predator. New tidbits of information that intrigued him would elicit a sinister chuckle. It turned Naoki's stomach. He knew there were no good intentions hidden in that laugh. Whatever he wanted Hanabi for would not end well for the girl.

"Most interesting. She is the apprentice of dear Naruto-kun. That will prove useful when the time comes." The shadow man spoke his thoughts out loud since there was nothing Naoki could do about it. So confident he was with this mind control jutsu.

"My dear Naoki, do not fret. After you have brought her to me, I will no longer have a need for you. Your agony will cease as payment for a job well done. So for that, you're welcome."

Sickening bastard. If only he could break free and warn someone, anyone!

"Yes, master."

"Off you go then. I have a delivery to make after all. Wouldn't want poor Gaikun to _punish me_."

The ominous laughter coming from the hologram froze Naoki's blood. Something about this individual just didn't feel human. He cursed fate for dumping this on him.

* * *

Naruto had set out to return to Tsunade again and report what Hanabi had discussed with him. That left Hanabi alone with nothing much to do. She decided to see if Hinata was home.

Making her way towards the Inuzuka compound, Hanabi contemplated what was happening inside her clan. She knew Hiashi wasn't right and with everything else that's escalated outside of the village, she'd forgotten about the inner turmoil going on there. She may not have a very fond image of her clan anymore but she didn't like where things were headed. Naruto said that he had Neji looking into it for him. Hanabi only hoped that Neji could find something soon before anything bad happens.

When she arrived at the Inuzuka compound, the guards greeted her cordially and invited her in. Hanabi entered Kiba and Hinata's home to find her sister and brother in law eating a late breakfast.

"Hello, Hanabi-chan. How are you this morning?" Hinata greeted with a polite bow.

"What's up squirt? Haven't seen you in a bit." Kiba bellowed.

Hanabi's eye twitched. "How many times have I told you? I'm an adult now. Calling me squirt is embarrassing."

Kiba didn't seem to be bothered. "Meh, once a squirt, always a squirt." He chuckled.

Hanabi let it go since this was just how Kiba acted. Immature to the end.

"Anyway, I am fine nee-san. I had some down time and figured I could discuss things with you."

Hinata seemed to notice the serious demeanor Hanabi possessed. "Very well. Come to the living room and we'll chat."

Hanabi followed Hinata through the house towards the living room leaving Kiba to finish his food. Akamaru was sprawled out on the ground in front of the fire place, dozing lightly when they walked in. Hinata gave him a gentle rub under his chin much to his delight as his hind leg began to pat happily.

"So, it seems there are many things to discuss."

"You could certainly say that. Have you been to see Hiashi lately?" Hanabi began.

Hinata cringed at Hanabi's disrespect for their father. "I have not seen father recently. A few weeks ago I had a meeting with him to discuss duties of an heir and what to expect. I expected there to be more to follow but our schedules have been conflicting since then. I will have to make time to see him."

"Yes, well he's becoming increasingly irrational and hostile. Something is not right." Hanabi leaned in closer to Hinata to whisper. "I think someone might have done something to him."

Hinata gasped. "Why do you think that?"

"Just his actions and mannerisms. I noticed in our trainings that he is not nearly as refined and his strikes hardly inflict any pain lately."

"Couldn't that be a result of your training with Naruto-kun?"

"The pain tolerance maybe but that doesn't account for his sloppiness. My increase in ability should not have caused him to taper off. If you'd seen him spar recently, you'd know what I mean."

"Well what else is there?"

"You know how stoic Hiashi typically is. Well he's become very belligerent recently. Anyone that displeases him is shouted at or worse."

"It's true father isn't the loud, brash type."

"Plus, I can tell he's laboring in simple tasks such as walking. Normally he is meticulous in his posture but he is physically exerting himself to try and maintain the image. He looks to be in pain."

"I suppose I should see him then. This doesn't sound well."

"Don't get me wrong. I don't particularly care for Hiashi or the clan with all that's happened but a coup is not something Konoha can afford." Hanabi unknowingly repeating the words of her sensei.

"A coup? Who's talking about a coup?" Kiba stepped into the room at that moment.

Hanabi grimaced. "Just discussing Hyuga clan matters."

"Yea I know. Inuzuka hearing isn't used for just the battlefield. You guys are overreacting here. It's probably nothing. Hiashi-sama probably just got a cold or something."

"But you haven't been to the compound or felt the tension there."

"Old guys get cranky when they are sick. He's the clan head so everyone's on edge to make sure they don't piss him off. It's not unheard of."

Hanabi could see her sister beginning to side with her husband. "Perhaps Kiba-kun is right, Hanabi-chan. Maybe we should wait before we rush to judgment."

"Wait? This involves our family. If something is happening, we need to act now. You're the heir. This is a very big deal, nee-san."

"I'm just saying that it would be silly if you did all of this running around and made accusations against people if there was nothing going on. I'd let it go if I were you guys. Your dad will be fine."

Hanabi was not pleased with her brother in law's attitude. "I appreciate your opinion, Kiba-san, but kindly mind your own business."

"Hey, this is my business! You're coming in my house with conspiracy theories about my wife's clan. So yea it's my business." Kiba didn't seem that upset but he was becoming more animated.

"Hanabi-chan, perhaps we should wait to see what occurs. I will visit father this week to see how he is doing. I'll let you know what I think." Hinata offered trying to cut off any further argument.

The lack of action was frustrating to Hanabi. "Fine, yea. Hiashi could be dying but we'll wait and see who takes over the clan when it happens." She sighed as she stood up. "Look, if this involves Hiashi, then someone may be after you as well. Just be careful. You're the only real family I have left."

Hinata's motherly smile put Hanabi at ease. "Do not fear, Hanabi-chan. I have Kiba-kun, Akamaru and the whole Inuzuka compound here to protect me. Their noses would smell any poison and they could hear a spy coming a mile away."

_"Unless they were already inside." _Hanabi thought to herself. She didn't want to antagonize Kiba further. She wanted to mention the encounter on her recent mission but she didn't know who may be listening in.

"I guess I'll be going then. I'm sure Naruto-sensei will have some training for me soon as he gets back from the Hokage again."

"Ha! Naruto is training you? Good luck with that." Kiba chimed in.

"What's that supposed to mean, dog breath?" Hanabi didn't like his tone.

"Just the dead last of the academy teaching the former Hyuga heir. Ironic I guess to me."

"That _dead last _has saved this village many times over. He's probably the strongest ninja in Konoha right now. And he's been a wonderful teacher! I'm way better than I was three months ago. I could probably even kick your ass, chow for brains." Hanabi unleashed her fury in defense of her sensei.

"Yea right! I know I could still take him."

"Uh huh, when was the last time you sparred with him? Hell, when was the last time you even spoke to him?"

"I don't know, a couple years."

"Exactly! You don't know anything about him. He'd mop the floor with you before you'd even hear the word _go_. You'd wish you were hit by Tsunade-sama's fists compared to the pain he'd inflict on you. You'd be begging for mercy within five seconds against him. You know nothing about Naruto-kun!"

Hinata stood there shocked at her sister's vehement outburst. Hanabi was still breathing heavy but Kiba had given up the argument.

"Tch whatever." Kiba walked into the other room.

Hanabi composed herself again. "I'm sorry nee-san. He just... I can't stand it when people are ignorant of others."

"It's okay, Hanabi-chan. Kiba-kun is very... boisterous. He was only posturing. He means no disrespect."

"Yea well, I'm still sorry for acting that way in front of you at least."

"It's quite alright. It seems you have grown fond of Naruto-kun much like I had many years ago."

Hanabi sputtered. "W-what? No, nee-san. I don't like him like that. I just don't like people bad-mouthing him when he's not here is all."

Hinata gave her sister a mischievous smile. "Sure you don't, Hanabi-chan."

Hanabi buckled under the pressure. "Alright, fine! Maybe I have a little crush on him. Despite his annoying attitude and his ability to be a jerk, you get these glimpses underneath of a genuinely good guy in there."

Hinata smiled a true smile. "I remember that good guy. Hopefully you can bring it out of him again."

"Come on now, nee-san. There's a difference between a crush and a relationship. It's probably just hero worship or something. The man is a god when it comes to the shinobi arts. He can do almost anything and explain it in a way that I can figure out. His mind is incredible." Hanabi looked off in a daze.

"His mind you say? You sure it's not something else that looks incredible?" Hinata teased in a rare moment for her.

"I didn't say the view wasn't nice. Especially when we get more... _hands on_." Hanabi turned the tables on her sister.

Hinata jumped for a second most likely imagining what _hands on_ training would be like under Naruto. "I'll bet that is very difficult to endure."

Hanabi smirked. "You might even say it's... _hard_... to withstand that kind of torture."

Hinata's mind must have melted because she began twiddling her fingers as she did in her youth. A deep blush adorned her face.

Hanabi giggled at being able to get a rise out of her sister. "Well, I really should be going now." She said turning serious. "Do be careful, nee-san. I don't like what's happening and I don't know if I can survive losing you."

Hinata gave her one last warm smile having recovered from her previous state. "I will, Hanabi-chan. I promise."

With that, Hanabi made her way out to find her sensei again to see the results of his meeting.

* * *

"This is very serious then." Tsunade did not look pleased from the additional information Naruto had just provided. It would have made its way to her eventually but he was right in bringing it to her immediately.

"I know. Wars have been started for less." Naruto offered, leaning casually against the wall of her office with his arms crossed.

Tsunade was calm and business-like on the outside but beneath the surface she was seething. _'This has gone on long enough. Whoever is doing this thinks they can fuck with Konoha?'_

"Enough is enough, Naruto. Attacking our border patrols is bad enough but when word reaches the clans that bloodlines are being targeted, they're all going to be calling for blood."

"What do you suggest then?"

"We need answers and we need them now. I'm sending Shikamaru out."

Tsunade knew what an important asset Shikamaru's mind was to the village. He's been invaluable in devising defense strategies and infrastructure improvements that have helped keep the village safe for many years. It's why she designated him the head Jounin after his father took the position as advisor to the Hokage. Shikamaru's foresight and analysis is quite possibility the best in the Elemental Nations. He's only ever sent out when it was absolutely necessary.

"Has the Intelligence Division been able to make any headway on the intel and whether it's Cloud or not?" Naruto inquired.

"They've discovered that the intel is authentic but still can't tell if it's Cloud. That muscle-headed idiot of a Raikage's lack of communication isn't really helping things." She added with a grunt.

Tsunade had given up on getting anything out of A. Despite the new era of peace, it seemed old habits die hard. Smoke and mirrors and redirection are all she ever gets from him. It's either an instinct he just can't give up or he really is hiding something. Either way, Tsunade can no longer take the benefit of the doubt from the built up goodwill of the last few years.

"In any case, this situation needs his expertise. I know you can usually figure these things out, Naruto, but Shikamaru will be ridiculously thorough in his search. Whoever is behind it, he'll figure it out."

Naruto held up his hand in apology. "No need to worry. I haven't gotten the job done. A fresh set of eyes will be good for this. Besides, I have that other thing to take care of anyway."

She of course knew he was referring to his ongoing Hyuga investigation. No need to say it out loud in case someone's ears were burning.

It suddenly dawned on her how casual they were speaking to one another. He wasn't nearly as rigid as he normally was. Despite the serious nature of the events unfolding around them, he seemed more at ease in her presence than he has in years.

"Naruto?"

"Yes, Tsunade?" He responded without thinking.

She wanted to tread carefully. She was getting something out of him for the first time in a long time. Like stumbling across a majestic, woodland creature, she didn't want to make any sudden movements so as not to scare it off.

"H-have you forgiven me?" Tsunade offered weakly with her gaze averted from his. Despite all of her power, she was emotionally fragile. She ventured out onto a precipice that could send her emotions spiraling.

Naruto had a look of contemplation. He didn't respond right away and it was driving her mad. _'Please, Naruto-kun.'_

"Let's just say, you're not the only one that can be a stubborn idiot… Baa-chan." He threw in at the end with a smirk.

Her heart soared as he uttered that simple term of endearment. There was hope yet. Her Naruto did exist. She may yet live to see him take this hat from her.

She regained her composure. "Well brat, I can see your manners haven't changed."

The chuckle he produced sounded positively radiant. Tsunade didn't think she could hear a more beautiful sound as this.

"It just wouldn't be me if they had."

The cocky smirk on his face warmed her heart but she couldn't let this renewed fondness go to his head. She grabbed the closest thing on her desk and chucked it at his head. He made no effort to dodge allowing it to land home as acceptance of their first step in repairing what they once had.

As he lay in a heap reminiscent of her old teammate, Tsunade steered the conversation back to business.

"I'll send word to Shikamaru to assemble a team. He'll leave tomorrow."

Naruto suddenly stood up unharmed and with his former poise. "Keep me informed. Let me know if you need me to do anything. I'll get that other thing wrapped up as quick as I can."

He left the office and Tsunade couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. _'Welcome back, otouto.'_

* * *

Naruto felt lighter as he walked away from Tsunade's office. He never realized just how much his grudge was weighing on his mind. He figured enough time had passed and he should at least allow his precious people back into his life for more than just business. Coping alone could only do so much.

_'I'm sorry Baa-chan. I promise I'll make it up to you.'_

Seeing the old arrogant smirk on her face again gave him a warm feeling inside. Tsunade acting like herself once more made him feel a little better about life.

He had wondered why now after all this time did he finally allow her back in?

_'Oh well, something for another time. There's things to get done.'_

Naruto continued walking through the village contemplating how he was going to approach the Hyuga investigation once Neji gave him some more info. He knew he'd need hard evidence before making any definitive decisions on what to do with them. He had to be extremely careful.

Clan business was about as sacred a law as there was in Konoha. It's what the village was founded on. Groups of nomadic clans joined together to share a place that they could practice their beliefs without interference while receiving protection from the larger alliance. Even if a clan hated another one, they would side with that clan whole heartedly if it meant protecting the rights of the individual clans.

Of course, the Hokages over the years found ways to circumvent this law through shrewd political maneuvering, back door deals and sometimes flat out intimidation. If there was a threat to the village, the Hokage usually acted without regard to a clan's rights in order to preserve the safety of all. These actions were dangerous precedents that thankfully never came to light lest a civil war were to break out. That didn't make the attempts any less treacherous.

_'Whatever I come up with, it can't tie back to the Hokage in anyway. It has to look like the clan resolved it from within.'_

While he was devising a strategy for surveillance, he couldn't help but over hear the various conversations shinobi were having with one another.

"God, another one? How many is that this week?" A young looking chunin was speaking with a group of his comrades.

"That's at least five now we've lost." His larger friend grimly explained.

"Those damn monsters. What the hell does Cloud want?" A pretty little brunette kunoichi around Konohamaru's age chimed in.

"I know. Didn't we just help them end a war and they want to start another one?" Another kunoichi with black hair spoke up.

"War brings in business. It was only a matter of time before another one happened." The eldest of the group, a middle-aged man sagely provided.

"Doesn't mean we have to like it." The original pouted.

"No it doesn't but you better not let the higher ups hear that you're scared."

"I'M NOT SCARED! I just don't like seeing friends die when we have no idea what's going on."

"If they wanted us to know, they'd let us know."

"Or they don't know themselves!"

Another Chunin sitting in the back decided to enter the conversation. "I heard Cloud is testing a new demonic weapon. I mean I don't know how we can trust them when they have two demons at their beck and call."

"Shh don't say things like that." One of the girls chided. "Naruto-sama also has a demon sealed in him. Do you think he's a demon too?"

"No! No, Naruto-sama is different. He is from Konoha so he knows how to handle these things. I just don't trust the other villages to handle theirs."

Naruto never joined in. He just listened. The paranoia was spreading. Direct attacks on Konoha ninja, turmoil in one of the founding clans, bloodlines being targeted by their enemies; he was reminded of something Jiraiya told him during his training trip.

_'Naruto, there are going to be times during this job that everything seems to be falling apart around you. You have to push through because this is the profession we chose. This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it.'_

They needed to regain the upper hand here before they had a panic.

_'I hope you can figure this thing out Shikamaru. Something big is coming. I can feel it.'_

* * *

"I trust you are satisfied with the test results I've provided then?" The shadow man spoke plainly to Gaikun.

The eager gleam in Gaikun's eye gave away his thoughts. "They will do quite nicely. I have been hearing the various skirmishes on Konoha's forces. I suppose those are the tests you speak of?"

The shadow man only offered a nod as confirmation.

"Then it appears they are quite effective."

They were currently meeting well outside of Konoha proper. A secluded safe house well hidden in the depths of the forest was established many decades ago by Hyuga clansmen as a contingency. The knowledge of these locations has been lost to all but a few in the clan. Those few would be Gaikun and his fellow conspirators. They were currently using one of the more expendable locations. It was secure from the prying eyes of the village but Gaikun knew he could never use it again after meeting directly with the shadow man.

This was the first encounter he had in person. It was only the two of them for security reasons. Viewing the image beneath the cloak with his Byakugan, Gaikun felt confident that he would be able to handle him should he try a double cross.

The shadow man brought his hands together in a satisfied clasp. "Well then, I suppose it's payment time."

Gaikun nodded. He handed the man a scroll. Enclosed within was the exorbitant sum he requested. His other request, living Hyuga subjects, had been provided through various mission assignment briefings. He felt the less he knew about their abductions the better. He was not happy about it but the sacrifice of a few branch members was worth what he was trying to achieve.

The shadow man tucked the scroll in his robes without inspecting it.

"Will you not verify the contents?" Gaikun was unsettled by someone so trusting.

"Why? Are you trying to cheat me, Gaikun-sama?" The shadow man chuckled. "I have faith that you paid in full. Here's the coordinates where the weapons are stationed."

He handed Gaikun a different scroll.

"And they will respond to my commands?"

"As requested. You may find some of them less than friendly I would imagine but they all have been programmed to follow your orders. They will not disobey. I guarantee it."

Gaikun perused the locations. Exactly where he requested them. They will be the perfect surprise when the time comes.

"How many were you able to produce?"

"Roughly six thousand of the standard grunts. They will be brutal and merciless but ultimately cannon fodder for the elite jounin. They have an incredible pain tolerance and durability but they have very little thought capacity. Just send them in a direction and forget about them. A dozen or so should be enough to overwhelm even a hardened squad of chunin." The shadow man explained.

"Another three hundred elites are spread out evenly at each location. These will be able to handle most jounin one on one. They have much better higher order thinking skills. They can formulate plans and use jutsu in effective strategies. Konoha's elites will have trouble with three or more of these at a time."

"Then we have the _Akuma_. My ultimate creations have been able to blend the mutation perfectly to adapt the strength modifications and maintain their thought processes. You will find them most disagreeable verbally but they are fully programmed to follow your orders. I can personally guarantee that these units can handle jounin the likes of Hatake Kakashi." The shadow man's grin threatened to split his face.

Gaikun was amazed by this but maintained his aloof demeanor. "That's quite the boast. I wonder if they will prove it correct? How many have you provided?"

"These units were created from extremely powerful shinobi before I began to work on them. It is an incredibly painstaking process the details of which I won't bore you with. Thus I only have eight of them, two in each of the groups. Rest assured, Gaikun-sama. If you knew who I used for each of them, you would understand my confidence."

"Very well. I suppose this ends our business together then." Gaikun had much to do to prepare before starting his liberation.

"There was one last thing you might be interested in." The shadow man tantalized.

Gaikun turned back around to face him. "Be quick. I am quite busy."

"I'm certain that you are. However, I have something to offer you that may prove useful in your endeavor." The shadow man produced a vile with a dark liquid inside. "This serum is the base used to enhance the strength and durability of my creations. On weaklings it merely enhances them into mindless beasts. For the truly strong of mind and body such as yourself, they can become much more. With this, someone of your stature would be able to take on a kage."

The pure desire in Gaikun's eyes could not be hidden. This concoction was too good to be true. It was just the thing he needed to complete his goals. With something like this, he'd be able to personally remove Tsunade from power. There had to be a catch though. No one offers power of this kind for nothing.

"I see. That is quite an offer. What is it that you are asking in return?"

"I seek a certain Hyuga for testing. Hanabi Hyuga. She is most interesting from the reports I've read."

Gaikun was immediately defensive. "Unacceptable. She is of the main branch. We had a deal that they were not to be touched."

"Well then, I'm sure you don't really need my serum to complete your tasks. I'm certain you're plenty strong enough as is to take on the Hokage and her personal lap dog."

Gaikun knew exactly what the shadow man was doing. He was a keen negotiator himself and he knew how to prey on people's weaknesses in order to gain a deal. He had to adjust this in his favor though.

"Perhaps there is some other compensation that can be provided? Why is it that you seek Hanabi?"

"Her prowess and skill intrigue me. She is powerful beyond her years. I wish to study that power and mold it into an even greater creation."

The man was sickening if not effective. Gaikun had no familial attachments to Hanabi in the slightest. He would sell his own son if he felt the deal was weighed in his favor but this deal was not. Giving up a main branch member was too great a risk.

"What if I offered another powerful Hyuga member instead?"

"I'm not sure. They would have to be an incredible specimen."

"I could provide you the third most powerful member of our clan next to only Hiashi and myself."

"Interesting. Who would this be?"

"Neji Hyuga. He is undeniably skilled. A once in a generation talent that had the misfortune of being born into the branch house. Since he has the seal, I have no qualms about you taking him."

The eyes of the shadow man were hidden by the dark cloak he wore but the sinister smile on his face grew larger at the idea. "Yes, yes. He would prove a fine subject. Very well, I accept." He handed the vile over to Gaikun. "Deliver Neji to me after you have taken care of your business."

Gaikun could not believe his good fortune. He had obtained the power to fight a kage at the mere cost of a branch member.

"Do be careful with that now. Only use it when you are ready. There are painful side effects that occur before the transformation finalizes. You will want to be prepared for that. I'm certain someone of your considerable talents will have no trouble handling it though." The shadow man smirked.

"I understand." Gaikun made his way back towards Konoha as swiftly as possible. Finally, he had the power to obtain everything he ever imagined.

_'Soon, Konoha will be mine.'_

* * *

So that's it for a bit. Leave a review and tell me what you think. More reviews and I'll consider getting back to this sooner.


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